THE WILD GEESE 27 



You hear them going south in the fall. Then 

 you may hear them going north in the spring. 

 For the wild geese, like so many other birds that 

 breed in the north, are migratory; that is they go 

 south at the approach of cold weather and north 

 again when warm weather comes on. 



In February the Canada geese are scattered 

 along the margins of our southern lakes and riv- 

 ers, already preparing for their flight northward 

 to Canada, Labrador, and Alaska. Early spring 

 finds them back in their northern breeding-haunts 

 with nests well under way. Then, by September, 

 the long return flight begins, the flocks passing 

 over the Middle States for a month or more, but 

 all reaching the warm shores of the South by the 

 time our northern waters are closed with ice. 



The journey in the spring is a honeymoon trip; 

 in the fall it is a family excursion. The wild 

 geese mate for life. Nothing of the turkey gob- 

 bler's jealousy and viciousness is shown by the 

 wild gander ; the female goose does not steal away 

 from her mate to make her nest. She and he are 

 "engaged" before the long spring flight begins. 

 They sail away in company with other like lovers 

 to wed and go off together as soon as they reach 

 the northern nesting-meadows. 



