THE CAPTURE OF THE WILD GOOSE. 245 



yond the fifty-third degree ; it is abundant in Central Europe ; occa- 

 sionally halting in Holland during its migrations." Those which visit 

 France are the harbingers of frost ; for when they make an early 

 appearance, it is well known that the winter will be severe. 



Although they frequent water little, Wild Geese repair every 

 evening to the ponds and rivers in their neighbourhoods to pass the 

 night; so that the Wild Goose visits its aquatic haunts when the 

 Wild Ducks are leaving them. These birds are very difficult to shoot 

 on account of their wariness, for their excessive caution renders 

 nearly useless all the stratagems of the sporstman. The attempt is 

 sometimes made to take them in the evening with nets, the Wild 

 Geese being attracted by means of tame ones, which are trained to 

 act as decoys. 



The Ostiaks, on the banks of the Obi, in Siberia, pile up the 

 snow, and, with the addition of branches, construct small huts. Near 

 these they place some stuffed birds; the Wild Geese seeing them, 

 dart on their facsimiles and peck them to pieces. While thus busily 

 occupied, they can easily be shot or captured. 



But the most curious and difficult mode of taking them is that 

 followed by the adventurous inhabitants of St. Kilda, a little island 

 off the west coast of Scotland.* Wild Geese of several species 

 make their nests there in large flocks at the foot of the sea-washed 

 rocks which surround the island. It is very doubtful if the Wild 

 Goose (Anser ferus) is found among these. Both for strength and 

 economy, the inhabitants use a cord made of thongs of twisted cow- 

 hide covered with sheep-skin. With a rope of this description, two 

 men climb to the top of a cliff; there they fasten themselves to 

 either end of the cord ; then one lets himself down over the face ot 

 the cliff, and the other clings to the rugged points above. The first 

 man fills a sack with the eggs, and suspends by their feet as many 

 young as he can hang to various parts of his person. When he has 

 made his collection, his companion hoists him up by main force, 

 twisting the cord round his own body after the manner of a windlass. 



This dangerous sport is said to be very productive. A cow-hide 

 rope forms a large portion of the dowry of a St. Kilda girl, and 

 very often it is the sole dependence of a household. The hardy 

 sportsmen have so much coolness and nerve, that accidents very 

 rarely happen. 



The Greylag Goose (Anser ferus} is the representative of this 



* The bird here alluded to is the gannet or Solan Goose (Su/a bassana). in no 

 way connected with the Anser genus. ED. 



