WILD GOOSE; CANADA GOOSE 59 



toward the northeast, with Napoleonic tactics splitting 

 the forces of winter. 



April 1, 1858. I observed night before last, as often 

 before, when geese were passing over in the twilight 

 quite near, though the whole heavens were still light 

 and I knew which way to look by the honking, I could 

 not distinguish them. It takes but a little obscurity 

 to hide a bird in the air. How difficult, even in 

 broadest daylight, to discover again a hawk at a dis- 

 tance in the sky when you have once turned your eyes 

 away! 



Oct. 24, 1858. A northeast storm, though not much 

 rain falls to-day, but a fine driving mizzle or " drisk." 

 This, as usual, brings the geese, and at 2.30 p. M. I see 

 two flocks go over. I hear that some were seen two or 

 three weeks ago (? ?), faintly honking. A great many 

 must go over to-day and also alight in this neighborhood. 

 This weather warns them of the approach of winter, and 

 this wind speeds them on their way. Surely, then, while 

 geese fly overhead we can live here as contentedly as 

 they do at York Factory on Hudson's Bay. We shall 

 perchance be as well provisioned and have as good so- 

 ciety as they. Let us be of good cheer, then, and expect 

 the annual vessel which brings the spring to us without 

 fail. 



March 24, 1859. C* sees geese go over again this 

 afternoon. How commonly they are seen in still rainy 

 weather like this ! He says that when they had got far 

 off they looked like a black ribbon almost perpendicular 

 waving in the air. 



^ [William Ellery Channing, the younger.] 



