WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



again, but was stopped by a charge from his gun. Our five 

 geese were no light load to carry home, as they had been 

 feeding on the corn for a fortnight or three weeks, and had 

 become very fat and heavy. 



The common grey goose, after having fed for some time 

 in the fresh-sown corn-fields, is by no means a bad bird for 

 the larder. But before they can procure grain to feed on, 

 their flesh is neither so firm nor so well flavoured. In this 

 country there are three kinds of geese, all called by the 

 common name of "wild-geese," namely, the white-fronted 

 goose, already mentioned; common grey-lag goose. Anas 

 Anser*; and the bean-goose. The latter kind differs from 

 the grey goose in having a small black mark at the end of 

 theirbill.about the size andcolourofahorse-bean.Thisbird, 

 too, differs in being rather smaller and more dark in its 

 general colour than the grey goose. It is a great libel to 

 accuse a goose of being a silly bird. Even a tame goose 

 shows much instinct and attachment; and were its habits 

 more closely observed, the tame goose would be found to 

 be by no means wanting in general cleverness. Its watch- 

 fulness at night-time is, and always has been, proverbial; 

 and it certainly is endowed with a strong organ of self-pre- 

 servation. You may drive over dog, cat, hen, or pig; but I 

 defy you to drive over a tame goose. As for wild geese, I 

 know of no animal, biped or quadruped, that is so difficult 

 to deceive or approach. Their senses of hearing, seeing, and 

 smelling are all extremely acute; independently of which, 

 they appear to act in so organized and cautious a manner 

 when feeding or roosting, as to defy all danger. Many a 



*The grey-lag is now scientifically termed Anier cinereus. — Ed. 



