BIRDS IN AUTHORITY 45 



was the owner of a small group of islands or islets on 

 the coast of Norway; he had bought them a good many 

 years ago purely for sporting purposes, as the geese 

 invariably came there on migration and spent some time 

 on the islands. There was one island where the geese 

 used to congregate every year on arrival in large num- 

 bers, and here one autumn some years ago a goose was 

 caught by the leg in a steel trap set for a fox. The 

 keeper from a distance saw the whole vast gathering 

 of geese rise up and circle round and round in a cloud, 

 making a tremendous outcry, and going to the spot he 

 found tlie bird struggling violently in the trap. He 

 took it home to another and larger island close by where 

 his master, my informant's friend, had a farm. From 

 that day the wild geese never settled on that islet, which 

 had been used as a resting-place for very many years. 

 The bird he had accidentally caught was an old gander, 

 and had its leg smashed ; but the keeper set to work to 

 repair the injury, and after binding it up he put the 

 bird in an outhouse and eventually it got quite well. 

 He then pinioned it and put it out with the other birds. 

 A little while before the old gander had been caught 

 the foxes had become so troublesome at the farm that 

 it was found necessary to secure all the birds every 

 night in enclosures and houses made for the purpose, 

 and as the birds preferred to be out the keeper had to 

 go round and spend a good deal of time every evening 

 in collecting and driving them in. Now before the old 

 wild goose had been able to go about many days with 

 the others it was noticed that he was acquiring a kind 



