NARROAV-BILLED GREY GOOSE. 599 



flock, on which they flew off in haste, uttering their loud 

 trumpet-like cries. Rushing into the water, gun in hand, 

 to secure my prizes, I found that I had shot into the midst 

 of some tall weeds, which I had mistaken for the geese. A 

 worse mistake was made by a man in Harris, who, hearing 

 the geese on the marsh of Nisbost close to his house, went 

 out in the dark, and having shot across a narrow creek 

 where he conceived them to be, returned. In the dawn, 

 when he went to pick up the geese, he found dead on the 

 opposite bank his own horse, which had been reposing 

 there. 



From my own observation I have little more to say of 

 the Bean or Corn Geese than that they sit lightly on the 

 water, floating beautifully with their heads to the wind, like 

 a fleet of merchantmen ; swim with good speed ; but rise 

 heavily, striking the water with their large wings, which, 

 when rising from the ground, they spread out and flap, 

 running forward some paces; that they feed chiefly by 

 night, unless in remote places, eating the soft pasture-grass, 

 and frequently the long juicy root-stems of agrostrides, gly- 

 cerise, and arundines that occur in the pools and by the 

 margins of lakes ; that their flight is heavy and rather slow, 

 the birds disposing themselves in lines, now straight, now 

 angular, or waving, when they are proceeding to a distance ; 

 and that their loud cries, rather harsh and grating when 

 heard at hand, are pleasant to the ear when coming from a 

 distance, especially in the stillness of night. In the begin- 

 ning of winter most of them leave those northern isles ; but 

 I have seen them there until as late as Christmas, and am 

 informed that many remain in South Uist all the year. 



In the eastern and southern parts of Scotland they 

 appear in October, betaking themselves to particular locali- 

 ties, generally open pastures or large fields. There they 

 feed on grass, young wheat, clover, and other plants. In 

 March and April they visit the newly-ploughed fields to 

 pick up the oat-seed, beans, pease, and roots of Potentilla 

 anserina, and various grasses. It is tantalizing on such 

 occasions to see them so far from any wall or bush, and so 

 vigilant, as to be quite secure. Although flocks remain in 



