THE CAPTURE OF THE WILD GOOSE. 245 
yond the fifty-third degree ; it is abundant in Central Europe ; occa- 
sionally halting in Holland during its migrations.” Those which visit 
France are the harbingers of frost ; for when they make an early 
appearance, it is well known that the winter will be severe. 
Although they frequent water little, Wild Geese repair every 
evening to “the ponds and rivers in their neighbourhoods to pass the 
night; so that the Wild Goose visits its aquatic haunts when the 
Wild Ducks are leaving them. These birds are very difficult to shoot 
on account of their wariness, for their excessive caution renders 
nearly useless all the stratagems of the sporstman. The attempt is 
sometimes made to take them in the evening with nets, the Wild 
Geese being attracted by means of tame ones, which are trained to 
act as decoys. 
The Ostiacs, on the banks of the Obi, in Siberia, pile up the snow, 
and, with the addition of branches, construct small huts. Near 
these they place some stuffed birds; the Wild Geese seeing them, 
dart on their facsimiles and peck them to pieces. While thus busily 
occupied, they can easily be shot or captured. 
But the most curious and difficult mode of taking them is that 
followed by the adventurous inhabitants of St. Kilda, a little islet 
on the west coast of Scotland.* Wild Geese of several species 
make their nests there in large flocks at the foot of the sea-washed 
rocks which surround the island. It is very doubtful if the Wild 
Goose (Auser ferus) is found among these. Both for strength and 
economy, the inhabitants use a cord made of thongs cf twisted cow- 
hide covered with sheep-skin. With a rope of this description, two 
men climb to the top of a cliff; there they fasten themselves to 
either end of the cord; then one ‘lets himself down over the face of 
the cliff, and the other clings to the rugged points above. ‘The first 
man fills a sack with the eggs, and suspends by their feet as many 
young as he can hang to various parts of his person. When he has 
made his collection, his companion hoists him up by main force, 
twisting the cord round his own body after the manner of a windlass. 
This dangerous sport is said to be very productive. A cow-hide 
rope forms a large portion of the dowry of a St. Kilda girl, and 
very often it is the sole dependence of a household. ‘The hardy 
sportsmen have so much coolness and nerve, that accidents very 
rarely happen. 
~ The Grey-lag Goose (Anser ferus) is the representative of this 
* The bird here alluded to is the Gannet or Solan Goose (Sw/a dassanea), in no 
way connected with the Avser genus.—ED, 
