72 BRITISH BIRDS. WITH THEIR NESTS AND EGGS 



Geese northward " The great annual battle of the Yenisei lasted longer than usual 

 the year I was there. We had alternate thaws and frosts during the last three weeks 

 in May ; summer seemed to be always on the point of vanquishing winter, but only 

 to be driven back with redoubled vigour. During all this time there must have 

 been thousands and tens of thousands of Geese hovering on the skirts of winter, 

 continually impelled northwards by their instincts, penetrating wherever a little 

 open water, or an oasis of grass, was visible, in the boundless desert of ice and 

 snow, and continually driven southwards again by hard frosts or fresh falls of snow. 

 It was not until the ice on the great river broke up, that the great body of Geese 

 finally passed northward." 



Similar phenomena, in the spring, attract the attention of dwellers near the 

 great Canadian lakes. Geese innumerable as the sands, in long waving lines, or 

 echeloned along the two sides of a triangle, cleaving their way in the cold thin 

 atmosphere, to their breeding grounds, in the barren-lands of the far north. 



" Hawnk! honk! and for'ard to the nor'ard, is the trumpet tone, 



What Goose can lag, or feather flag, or break the goodly Cone? 



Hawnk! onward to the cool blue lakes where lie our safe love-bowers; 



No stop, no drop of ocean brine, near stool or hassock hoary, 



Our travelling watchword is ' our mates, our goslings, and our glory ! ' 



Symsonia and Labrador, for us are crowned with flowers, 



And not a breast on wave shall rest until that heaven is ours. 



Hawk! Hawnk! E-e hawnk!" 



Family ANA TIDsE. 



SNOW-GOOSE. 



Chert hyper boreus, PALLAS. 



THIS North American Goose was first recorded, by Mr. Howard Saunders, as 

 occurring in the British Islands from two immature examples, purchased 

 in Leadenhall market, on November gth, in 1871. Subsequent enquiry shewed 

 that they had been shot a few days previously near the south coast of Wexford ; 

 a third also having been got shortly after in Wexford harbour. 



