396 THE CANADA GOOSE. 



Spanish geese. After my father's death, and during my absence in 

 America, some hungry quadruped, or nocturnal plunderer in the 

 shape of man, thinned down their number to a solitary goose ; and, 

 at last, this remaining favourite fell a prey to the fox, ere all entrance 

 into my park had been effectually debarred to that wily villain, by 

 the interposition of a wall, from nine to ten feet in height. No more 

 Canada geese were seen at this place for many years, until, one day, 

 when Mr Ord of Philadelphia, the elegant biographer of poor Wilson, 

 the ornithologist, observed a pair of them to alight on a distant part 

 of the lake. I shall never forget with what joy and enthusiasm this 

 worthy friend announced to me his important discovery of the long- 

 looked-for strangers. But they only tarried for a day or two, and 

 then they went away, and returned no more. 



In the winter of the following year, I was agreeably surprised one 

 morning by seeing a flock of four-and-twenty Canada geese on the 

 water. Having never heard that so large a number had been ob- 

 served on any of the waters in this neighbourhood, I concluded that 

 these birds must have come from a distance. Be this as it may, they 

 seemed satisfied with the security which the place afforded ; and 

 they took up their permanent abode amongst us, reserving to them- 

 selves, however, the privilege of making excursionary visits to the 

 several ornamental pools of water in the surrounding district. One 

 of these geese seems not to be thoroughly bred, as it wants the jet- 

 black collar on the neck ; and it has not that well-defined portion of 

 white on the cheeks, so conspicuous in the others. It appears more 

 suspicious than the rest of the flock ; for, on a too near approach of 

 the spectator, it is invariably the first to give mouth, and the first to 

 rise on the wing. When I reflect on the number of enemies, bipeds 

 as well as quadrupeds, with which birds of this description are beset, 

 I often marvel how it is possible that they are able to perform their 

 repeated aerial wanderings without falling a prey to the dangers 

 which must continually await them. I know, to a certainty, that this 

 flock has been shot at by prowlers in the neighbourhood, but hitherto 

 without success. In the breeding season, two or three pairs will 

 remain here. The rest take themselves off, and are seen no more 

 till the return of autumn, when they re-appear, without any addition 

 to the flock or diminution of it. This is much to be wondered at ; 



