296 ANATTD^. 



selected by themselves for this purpose, without requiring or 

 receiving either care or food from man, that the Canada 

 Goose seemed to him to be entitled to a place in this work.* 

 The bird from which Bewick drew his figure of this species 

 was shot at St. Germain's, in Cornwall, where other ex- 

 amples have also been obtained ; several have been shot at 

 diiferent times in Hampshire ; and the Rev. Leonard Jenyns 

 states that large flocks have been observed in the fens of 

 Cambridgeshire in a state of liberty and independence. 

 Mr. Hancock states that one in his collection, killed on 

 Prestwick Car in June 1836, was an adult, with plumage 

 in excellent condition ; nevertheless — he adds significantly 

 — on examination a piece of string was found tightly encir- 

 cling the leg above the true heel ; proving that the bird had 

 been in captivity. 



A writer in the Magazine of Natural History, vol. viii. 

 p. 255, says, " In this neighbourhood (near Derby) we are 

 frequently visited by small flocks of the Canada Goose, which 

 always announce their approach by a loud noise, and, after 

 wheeling two or three times round the piece of water near 

 the house, they alight, and commence grazing. It frequently 

 happens that two remain when all the rest are flown, and 

 after reconnoitring the place for a few days, they usually fix 

 on the corner of an island as their nesting-place. Shortly 

 after the goslings have extricated themselves from their 

 brittle covering, they are conducted to the water by the 

 female, when they are joined by the male, who brings up the 

 rear. The little family remain together till the return of 

 the flock, when all mix promiscuously, recruit themselves 

 for a few days, and then depart. A pinioned female was 

 joined by a male. When they were ai)proached, the male 

 did not fly away until he was pursued so closely as to be in 

 danger of being caught ; he remained with his mate as long 

 as was consistent with his liberty ; when that was in danger, 

 and not till then, he deserted the female. Several of the 

 wild goslings were obtained in the season of 1832 ; two of 

 them passed into the hands of a neighbouring farmer, in 



* The Editor does not share this opinion. 



