70 



on which the birds descended, wheeled, and passing within forty 

 or fifty yards, ran the gauntlet as it were. Every gun went oif 

 in succession, and with such effect, that I several times saw a 

 flock of a hundred or more reduced to a miserable remnant of 

 five or six individuals. The game was brought up after each 

 volley by the dogs, while the masters were charging their pieces 

 anew. This sport was continued all day, and at sunset, when I 

 left one of these lines of gunners, they seemed as intent on kill- 

 ing more as they were when I arrived. A man near the place 

 where I was seated had killed sixty-three dozen. I calculated 

 the number in the field at two hundred ; supposing each to have 

 shot twenty dozen, forty-eight thousand Golden Plover would 

 have fallen that day." C. M. A. 



WILD GEESE. 



(Reprinted from " The Field" Newspaper, April 9th, 1864). 



ME. WEIGHT observes (March 22nd) that at that time hundreds 

 of " Common Wild Geese" were at Strensall Common, near 

 York. In England, we have four species of Grey Geese which 

 visit us : the Common Wild Goose, the White-fronted, the Pink- 

 footed, and the allied species with dull orange legs. Of these, 

 the (so-called) Common Wild Goose is at the present day much 

 the most uncommon so much so, that several seasons pass over 

 without any turning up. Probably in former times, when ex- 

 tensive marshes existed and population was scanty, this species 

 would be the one residing the greater portion of the year here, 

 breeding in suitable places, and the eggs being easily obtained, 

 and the bird readily adapting itself to domestication, from it lias 

 descended the tame geese of our day. The White-fronted seems 

 to be more nearly allied to the Common Wild Goose than the 

 other two, their beaks ;in- lar-cr in proportion, in comparison to 

 the size ot the IK ml. and are all pale coloured. The Whitc- 

 t'ruuted Goose (as well as the Common Wild Goose to a much 



