WILD GEESE. 389 



with its beak struck the Hawk so violent a blow, that it 

 was stunned, and taken up by one of the threshers. 

 The Goose is, in truth, by no means a cowardly bird, 

 and will often, when excited, defend himself very coura- 

 geously, a quality of which the Russians seem well 

 aware, as it is not an uncommon thing in that country, 

 instead of training up Game Cocks for fighting, to have 

 what are termed Goose-pits, where they are regularly 

 trained for the sport. The birds are taught to peck at 

 each other's shoulders, so as to draw blood ; and well- 

 trained Ganders have been known to sell as high as. 

 twenty pounds, and betting upon them runs very high. 

 This cruel sport takes place in March*. 



Our domestic Geese are descended from the marsh or 

 fen Goose (Anser palustris), which, though originally a 

 wild species, is more easily tamed than some others, par- 

 ticularly if taken young. Not but that some of this 

 race may be domesticated. In America, where vast 

 flights pass to the northward to breed, the people shoot 

 them in great numbers ; and as many, owing to their 

 wide spread of wing, are often merely pinioned, they are 

 kept alive, and in process of time have been made so 

 tame, that having been let out in the morning, they re- 

 turned in the evening. Several have been thus kept for 

 many years; but, although they constantly associated 

 with the farm-yard Geese, they were never known to 

 breed with them. Under particular circumstances, a 

 wild Goose has, indeed, been known to throw itself 

 under the protection of man. Thus an officer settled on 

 a farm near the Missouri, in North America, one day,, 

 when walking near the banks of the river, observed a 

 large Eagle frequently darting towards the water, and 

 then rising again. On a near approach, he perceived 

 that its object was to take a wild Goose, which had 

 alighted on the water, and which was diving to avoid so 

 powerful an enemy. Its efforts, however, appeared to 

 be in vain, and after diving again and again, and as often, 

 * GRANVILLE'S Russia. 



