WHERE WILD GEESE CONGREGATE 29 



of liuman life! This camping-ground is backed by the 

 sand-liills and pine wood ; on the opposite side is the 

 coast road and sight of people driving and walking, and 

 nearer still the line of the railway from Lynn to Wells, 

 The marsh, too, is fed by cattle and horses and sheep; 

 there is the shepherd with his dog, and others from the 

 farms going about ; but the geese do not heed them, nor 

 do they show alarm when a train rushes past a couple 

 of hundred yards away puffing out steam and making 

 a mighty noise on that flat moist earth. They have 

 made the discovery that there is no harm in it notwith- 

 standing its huge size, its noise and swift motion. 



To find at this spot that I was able to look at a 

 flock of a thousand or two of geese at a short distance 

 has been one of my most delightful experiences in bird- 

 watching in England. I had heard of their tameness 

 from others, but could hardly credit it until witnessing 

 it myself. The best time was in fine weather as we 

 occasionally get it in October and November, when the 

 wind is still and the sunshine bright and warm, for 

 the birds are then in a drowsy state and less vigilant 

 than at other times, especially after a moonlight night 

 when they have been feeding on the stubble and pastures. 

 You can then get quite near to them and see them at 

 their best, and with a good binocular bring them as 

 close to your eyes as you like. It is a very fine sight — 

 this assemblage of large wild birds on the green turf 

 sitting or standing in every attitude of repose. At a 

 distance they look almost black ; seen closely one admires 

 the shading of their plumage, the dark upper barred 



