174 CATALOGUE OF BIRDS. 



out making mention of two very interesting 

 characteristics of Wild-Geese in general. The first 

 is, the way they fly when going on long distances ; the 

 second, the way they feed. Well, in both they are 

 regular old soldiers ! 



The usual formation in flight is something like 

 the shape of a V, but they do not confine them- 

 selves by any means to this particular formation ; 

 far from it, for they go through several military 

 manoeuvres, front forming into line being one of 

 them ; and I shouldn't be surprised if they threw out 

 flanking parties from the main body. In regard 

 to the second point, they never feed in flocks 

 without posting sentinels all round them on higher 

 ground to warn them of the approach of danger. 

 So you see the whole system of these interesting 

 birds is military. 



CASE 34. 



THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 



Order, Anseres. Family, Anatidcr. 



This Goose, with the exception perhaps of the 

 Bernacle, is about the handsomest of those that 

 visit us regularly every year from northern latitudes. 

 The time of their arrival is generally towards the 

 end of October, and they leave us again about 

 the end of March for breeding purposes. 



In the winter of 1902-3 I was staying in Water- 

 ville, county Kerry, at the Bay View Hotel, the 



