344 GEESE. 



excited its interest, and was more or less taken under its pro- 

 tection, the parent hen not appearing the least alarmed. 



The Canada Geese appear to be peculiarly susceptible birds, 

 and will sometimes make up by imagination or fancy what is 

 deficient in reality. Thus, a Canada 

 Gander in a nobleman's park, near 

 Windsor, having no mate, for two 

 springs regularly mounted guard oppo- 

 site a drawbridge in front of a thicket, 

 where, it was clear, he imagined there 

 was a nest, and defended the approaches 

 very courageously, continuing this ideal 

 defence till the first brood of ducklings 



appeared from some other quarter, which he immediately took 

 under his protection ; and in the second year he thus actually 

 chaperoned twenty-five. It should be added that there was 

 no nest of any kind whatever within the precincts which he 

 so strenuously guarded. 



But if, in this case, we may smile at the old Gander's fancy 

 and credulity, in believing eggs to be hatching where none 

 were laid, we can quote another, showing that a goose is occa- 

 sionally possessed of a keen sense, enabling her to detect 

 imposition, and distinguish her own eggs from others closely 

 resembling them. A Goose, belonging to a clergyman in 

 Cheshire, was set (as it is termed) on six or eight eggs. The 

 dairymaid, thinking these too few for so large a bird to cover, 

 added an equal number of Duck eggs. The next morning she 

 went as usual to see if all was right, when, to her great sur- 

 prise, she found the Goose quiet on her nest, but every one of 

 the Duck eggs picked out, and lying on the ground. Her 

 mistress directed her to replace them, which was accordingly 

 done ; but the next morning, on going again to examine the 

 nest, she found all the Duck eggs as before, moved off, and 

 lying round about the nest ; the Goose eggs remaining under 

 the sitting bird in perfect order. How long she would have 

 persevered in removing them is not known, as, for fear of 

 driving the Goose from her nest, the experiment was not 

 repeated. 



