GEESE. 345 



When once attached to each other, they appear to be very 

 constant, in proof of which, a person having marked five separate 

 Ganders, and five separate Geese, with which they had paired, 

 found that for three successive years, when he attended to them, 

 each regularly selected his companion of the former year, and 

 continued faithful to her. Why the Goose has been so generally 

 pointed out, proverbially, as the most foolish of birds, it is diffi- 

 cult to say ; for the above, as well as the following instances, 

 would lead us to believe that they are endowed with a larger, 

 rather than a less, portion of sense than other birds. 



An old Goose, which had been for a fortnight hatching in a 

 farmer's kitchen, was perceived on a sudden to be taken 

 violently ill. She soon after left the nest, and repaired to an 

 outhouse, where there was a young Goose of the first year, 

 which she brought with her into the kitchen. The young one 

 immediately scrambled into the old one's nest, sat, hatched, 

 and afterwards brought up the brood. The old Goose, as soon 

 as the young one had taken her place, sat down by the side of 

 the nest, and shortly after died. As the young Goose had 

 never been in the habit of entering the kitchen before, the 

 fact can only be accounted for by supposing that the old one 

 had some way of communicating her thoughts and anxieties, 

 which the young one was perfectly able to understand. We 

 give this anecdote on the authority of a Mr. Brew, who states 

 it to have occurred at Ennis, in July 1828. 



So strong are the affections of these loving birds, that some 

 who have exposed themselves to their vengeance have occa- 

 sionally found themselves fearfully worsted. A Game Cock, 

 near Ashford, in Kent, priding himself, no doubt, on his 

 prowess, happened, some time ago, to take offence at a Goose 

 during the time of incubation ; and attacking her with great 

 fury, pecked out one of her eyes, and destroyed several of her 

 eggs. An old Gander, seeing the danger to which Ms mate 

 was exposed, flew to her assistance, and many desperate battles 

 took place. One day, in his absence, the Cock renewed his 

 attack upon the Goose ; when the Gander, hearing the bustle, 

 hurried up, and seizing the Cock, dragged him into the pond, 

 where he ducked him repeatedly, and finally drowned him. 



