WELLS-NEXT-THE-SEA 29 



shepherd with his dog, and others from the farms 

 going about ; but the geese do not heed them, nor 

 do they show alarm when a train rushes past a couple 

 of hundred yards away puffing out steam and making 

 a mighty noise on that flat moist earth. They have 

 made the discovery that there is no harm in it not- 

 withstanding its huge size, its noise and swift motion. 

 To find at this spot that I was able to look at a 

 flock of a thousand or two of geese at a short distance 

 has been one of my most delightful experiences in 

 bird-watching in England. I had heard of their 

 tameness from others, but could hardly credit it 

 until witnessing it myself. The best time was in 

 fine weather as we occasionally get it in October and 

 November, when the wind is still and the sunshine 

 bright and warm, for the birds are then in a drowsy 

 state and less vigilant than at other times, especially 

 after a moonlight night when they have been feeding 

 on the stubble and pastures. You can then get 

 quite near to them and see them at their best, and 

 with a good binocular bring them as close to your eyes 

 as you like. It is a very fine sight — this assemblage 

 of large wild birds on the green turf sitting or standing 

 in every attitude of repose. At a distance they look 

 almost black ; seen closely one admires the shading of 

 their plumage, the dark upper barred greys and 

 browns, and the buff colouring on neck and breast 

 and pink beak and legs. The sight is peculiarly fine 

 when, as frequently happens, great numbers of birds 

 of other species gather at the same spot as if a parlia- 



