CANADA GOOSE. I53 



Grave, unwieldy inmates of the pool, 

 The chauf^'ing seasons of the sky proclaim. 

 Sun, cloud, or shower. 



Pleasures of Imagination. 



Our forefathers were much perplexed to decide, whether these 

 Geese were fowl or fish. They rather inclined to class them with 

 fish, because they were believed to emerge from the barnacles 

 which encrust old timber, and hulls of ships. One old herbal 

 contains a marvellous picture of a dead tree with many branches, 

 thickly studded with barnacles, from which small Geese are coming 

 out full fledged ; and the writer tells us that " the fish which is 

 hatched therefrom is in shape and habit like a bird." 



As barnacles turn Solan Geese 

 In th' islands of the Orcades. 



'Bi:TLER—Hudibras. 



BERNICLA CANADENSIS— Canada Goose. 



The Canada Goose is not often met with in its wild state 

 in England. 



Its home is in North America, Greenland, and Spitzbergen, 

 but it is drawn south in very severe winters. Various instances are 

 recorded of flocks having been seen in different counties of England, 

 but until the winter of 1885-6, there is no record of the birds 

 having been noticed in Herefordshire. On the 24th January, 1886, 

 two flocks of large Geese were observed in the Wye meadows, 

 about a mile below Wilton Bridge. They attracted much attention, 

 and took flight in the direction of Goodrich. The number of birds 

 in one flock was estimated by several observers to be twenty-three, 

 the smaller flock was only five ; but they were feeding at no great 

 distance apart, and appeared to be all of one species. 



The following day, Mr. H. Preece, of Ash Farm, Pencraig, 

 was informed that a large flock of Geese was in the Wye meadows, 

 near Goodrich, so he immediately went in search of the birds. He 

 was not fortunate enough to meet with the larger flock, which was 

 judged to be over twenty, but the smaller flock of five was quietly 



