266 WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 
notably in Nebraska and Dakota, are found in plenty, 
mingling in profusion, and associating with Brant, 
Canada Geese and Hutchin’s Geese, with fraternal 
affection. Their habits are quite similar to the 
habits of other wild. geese; the food, the same; and 
they may often be seen on sand bars, in the low slug- 
gish rivers, in the open lakes of Dakota and Nebraska, 
forming conspicuous objects, as they show up so clearly 
in the bright sunlight, their snowy white pencilled off 
by the glossy black on their wings, making a pretty sight 
when brought into contrast with dull bars, drifting 
sand, barren pastures, or the dark, upturned broken 
prairie. When the Canadas leave the rivers and lakes 
and fly heavily over fields and prairies, going to and re- 
turning from their feeding grounds, the pure white 
ones, similar to tame geese, will rise and go with them, 
sometimes lead the horde of departing geese, and 
rising to considerable height, much higher than their 
cousins, will fill the air with shrieking, discordant 
sounds, carrying to the ears of the onlooker most dismal 
and wretched cries. When in air, they are continual 
gossips, and could an interpretation be made of the 
language used, judging its purport by the tone it is 
uttered, they must be guilty of the most deliberate and 
malicious slander, probably against their slow-moving 
neighbors,—the Canadas, possibly, against the human- 
race,—at any rate, one feels justified in classing them 
as common scolds. They will not decoy well, and 
when they come within 60 or 75 yards of the hunter 
who is concealed in his * pit,” he should let drive at 
them, trusting the result to cool aim and a close-shoot- 
ing, hard-hitting gun. 
When sitting in stubble field or open prairie, they 
