194 inilD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS. 



Breut Geese differ from the rest of the family in being 

 exclusively marine in their haunts ; speaking generally, they 

 spend the night at sea and the day on the tidal oozes, but 

 never (like the Grey Geese) go inland to feed in the fields, or 

 travel a single yard beyond high-water mark. 



The habits of the Brents, if left unmolested to their 

 natural bent, are as follows : After spending the night at 

 sea, as the first streak of dawn appears in the east, they 

 begin to think of breakfast. They rise from the sea, and, 

 after ten minutes or so spent in preliminary evolutions, 

 flying rapidly to and fro over the water, they head up, flight 

 after flight, for their feeding grounds on the great zostera- 

 covered mud-flats of the harbour or estuary they frequent. 

 But the tide certainly aff"ects their movements to some extent, 

 and they prefer to come in on a flowing tide, especially at 

 about one-quarter flood, if that period at all coincides with 

 the daybreak. Of course this stage of the tide is only at 

 intervals coincident with flight-time, and often very remote 

 from it, and the Geese, like other creatures, have to submit 

 to sublunary influences. Thus a few days before full moon, 

 Avhen the flood (on this coast) commences several hours before 

 dawn, the Geese come in at that period — i.e., in the dark. 

 Such times therefore appear a good opportunity to bring the 

 punt-gun to bear upon them, since they are somewhat 

 dullish fowl in the dark — much more so, for example, than 

 Duck or Wigeon — and we have them " inside " for an hour or 

 so before daybreak. A good shot, however, is rarely obtained 

 under these circumstances, for at such times the moon sets 

 just at that particular hour. Hence the last hour before 

 dawn is, perhaps, the darkest of the whole night, and the 

 punter, therefore, is best in bed. Again, when the tide is 

 falling at flight-time, the Geese come in on the ebb, though 

 rather later (after daybreak). But since Brent Geese, though 

 very active on their legs, have a strong objection to remain 

 on the "dry" for more than an hour or two at a time, and 

 are afraid to trust themselves in the harbour channels, a 

 large number may be seen going out to sea about midday, 

 returning on the flood in the afternoon. This reluctance to 

 remain long out of the water is a factor in all their habits. 



