GREY LAG-GOOSE. 151 



feet lower than it is at present. Then the number of 

 Knots, Redshanks, DunHns, Godwits, and other waders 

 was many times greater than now, but not more than 

 30 or 40 Wild Geese visited the river. Gradually the 

 mud began to accumulate : training walls were put 

 down, and the channel was confined to the north side of 

 the estuary. As the mud increased in depth, and the 

 ground approached its present level and became 

 covered, first with glass-wort (locally known as sam- 

 phire) afterwards with creeping bent-grass {Agrostis 

 stolotnfcra), a greater number of Geese came ; now we 

 have about 200 in an average season from the end of 

 September until the end of April. Since 1863 about 4,000 

 acres of marshland have been enclosed and cultivated, 

 so that the estuary is practically ruined as a resort for 

 waders, but the Geese remain all the winter ; and as a 

 rule there is no appreciable difference in the numbers 

 w^iich frequent the estuar3\* Occasionally, however, 

 they seem to collect, until several times the ordinary 

 number are seen : — on 28th February 1888, it was 

 estimated that at least 2,000 were on the river, but they 

 were very wild and would not allow approach within 

 300 yards. In addition to the birds which winter with 

 us, gaggles pass over during the periods of migration ; 

 in autumn flying S.W., in spring N.E. The Geese feed 

 chiefly during the day on the out marsh on creeping 

 bent-grass — a nutritious grass which gives a very early 

 bite, and which enables the marsh to carry and keep in 

 good condition a large stock of cattle ; but if much 

 harassed they fly inland, especially when there is a 

 ' light ' moon, and feed on cultivated grasses, clover, 

 young wheat, rotten potatoes, and grain on the inner 

 marsh and moss land, seldom, however, venturing more 

 * [This reclaimed laud is coloured red in the map. — Ed.] 



