76 ANATID.E. 



all tlic cold months of the year. It is seldom scon on fresh 

 water in the interior, unless wounded ; but is truly a marine 

 species, passing a great portion of the day and night out at 

 sea, at other times frequenting extensive muddy flats and 

 sand bars on the sea-shore, which are exposed at every ebb 

 tide, and the birds make their appearance at these their feed- 

 ing places, as soon as, or even a short time before the water 

 leaves the ground exposed, remaining there, if undisturbed, 

 till the tide flows over the ground again. In such situations 

 the immense numbers that frequent certain favourite localities 

 are quite extraordinary. 



The author of Wild Sports in the West of Ireland, says, 

 " they come here in immense multitudes ; I saw from the 

 window a considerable extent of sand literally black with this 

 migratory tribe;" and they are equally numerous on other 

 parts of the Irish coast. 



Colonel Hawker, in his very amusing Instructions to young 

 sportsmen, referring to Wild Fowl shooting on the coasts of 

 Dorsetshire and Hampshire, observes, " towards November or 

 December, we have the Brent Geese, which are always wild, 

 unless in very hard weather. In calm weather these geese 

 have the cunning in general to leave the mud as soon as the 

 tide flows high enough to bear an enemy ; and then they go 

 off to sea, and feed on the drifting weeds. To kill Brent 

 Geese by day, get out of sight in a small punt, at low water, 

 and keep as near as possible to the edge of the sea. You 

 will then hear them coming like a pack of hounds in full cry, 

 and they will repeatedly pass within fair shot, provided you 

 are well concealed, and the weather is windy to make them 

 fly low. Before yovi fire at them, spring suddenly up, and 

 these awkward birds will be in such a fright as to hover toge- 

 ther, and present a mark like a barn door. The Brent Geese, 

 when fat, are excellent eating birds.''"' 



The London markets are abundantly supplied with these 



