BIRDS IN AUTHORITY 45 



to congregate every year on arrival in large numbers, 

 and here one autumn some years ago a goose was 

 caught by the leg in a steel trap set for a fox. The 

 keeper from a distance saw the whole vast gathering 

 of geese rise up and circle round and round in a cloud, 

 making a tremendous outcry, and going to the spot 

 he found the bird struggling violently in the trap. 

 He took it home to another and larger island close 

 by where his master, my informant's friend, had a 

 farm. From that day the wild geese never settled 

 on that islet, which had been used as a resting-place 

 for very many years. The bird he had accidentally 

 caught was an old gander, and had its leg smashed ; 

 but the keeper set to work to repair the injury, and 

 after binding it up he put the bird in an outhouse 

 and eventually it got quite well. He then pinioned 

 it and put it out with the other birds. A little while 

 before the old gander had been caught the foxes 

 had become so troublesome at the farm that it was 

 found necessary to secure all the birds every night in 

 enclosures and houses made for the purpose, and as 

 the birds preferred to be out the keeper had to go 

 round and spend a good deal of time every evening 

 in collecting and driving them in. Now before the 

 old wild goose had been able to go about many days 

 with the others it was noticed that he was acquiring 

 a kind of mastery over them, and every day as evening 

 approached he began to try to lead and, failing in 

 that, to drive them to the enclosures and buildings. 

 The keeper, curious to see how far this would go, 



