Some mention must be made here of the surprising numbers 
in which geese, of some species, congregate. Writing of the 
Brent goose, in his “ Bird Life of the Borders,” Mr. Abel 
Chapman—and there are few men who can write with such 
authority on the subject—tells us :—‘ Just at dark the whole 
host rise on the wing together, and make for the open sea. In 
the morning they have come in by companies and batallions, 
but at night they go out in one solid army ; and a fine sight it is 
to witness their departure. The whole host, perhaps ten thousand 
strong, here massed in dense phalanxes, elsewhere in columns 
tailing off into long skeins, V’s or rectilineal formations of every 
conceivable shape, (but always with a certain formation)—out 
they go, full one hundred yards high, while their loud clanging, 
defiance—“ honk, honk,—torrock, torrock,” and its running 
accompaniment of lower croaks and shrill bi-tones, resounds 
for miles around.” 
49 
