336 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS 



The migrations of these geese do not appear to 

 extend much beyond British waters. When shooting near 

 Arcachon some years ago, I was told they were sometimes 

 numerous at certain places in that neighbourhood ; but 

 I saw none myself, nor have I seen a single occurrence 

 during more than twenty winters' fowling in the Spanish 

 Peninsula. Their departure northwards in spring depends 

 absolutely on the weather abroad. It may commence as 

 early as the end of February, continue throughout March, 

 and even last into April ; or, alternatively, the geese may 

 quit in a body on a single day — in that case, never before 

 the last week in March. Their departure is regulated by 

 thermometrical readings abroad — precisely as was their 

 arrival here ; and they know to an hour, as well, or better, 

 than we do ourselves (with all our submarine cables) 

 the precise climatic changes which are occurring 500 

 miles and more to the north and east. In 1883 (mild 

 season) a part of the geese were seen to leave as early as 

 February 20th ; the rest in March. In the severe winter 

 of 1879 my puntsman wrote me on March 25th, "There 

 is still a great many geese left, but hardly so many as 

 in February." In 1 881, after an unusually severe and 

 prolific season, he wrote on March 1 7th, " Part of the geese 

 left yesterday. They were seen going about east, mount- 

 ing higher in the air as they went." (On the same date 

 I read in the newspapers a notice of the partial re-opening 

 of the Baltic navigation.) The rest of the geese left that 

 year on March 31st. 1 Some linger on our coast till April, 

 but, as above stated, the bulk are gone by the end of 

 March. Yet, though they leave us in March, their 

 breeding-season in arctic latitudes does not commence 

 till late in June. Their course, on leaving our shores, as 



1 In 1896, they left in mass on March 22nd. 



