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so rapidly, that the corn in the ear, before it has ye 

 come to maturity, is buried under the snow. In con- 

 sequence of this we must look at the extremes as 

 being the points that turn the two migrations of the 

 birds, and the mean latitudes as being a mere passa^ 

 or thoroughfare. Now at the times when in such a 

 country as England, the pools are dry, and the grassy 

 surface is burnt up, the snows of the northern sur- 

 faces are melted. But the melting of the northern 

 snow?, especially on surfaces that are comparatively 

 flat, is a very different operation from the watering ol 

 the ground by rain. In hilly districts, there are very 

 frequently heavy falls of rain accompanying the break 

 of the storm; because the great differences of level, 

 and consequently of pressure as well as temperature, 

 occasion varied motions and clashings of different 

 strata of the air. On the northern flats, however, the 

 case is different. The snows simply melt, and melt 

 gradually ; and the water stagnates, and stagnates 

 upon surfaces which have been warm by the snow, 

 while the air is comparatively cloudless, and the sun 

 heats strongly. This state of things is exceedingly 

 favourable to vegetation ; and such a powerful 

 growth is soon produced as preserves this humidity for 

 the greater part of the summer ; and thus geese find 

 abundance of food in those northern wilds to which 

 they resort as their breeding quarters. 



In tropical climates the causes and also the direc- 

 tions of those birds are different, because they follow 

 the periodical rains ; but still the original inducement 

 to migrate with the seasons is substantially the same 

 in the one part of the country as in the other. 

 It is food which the birds follow after in those regions 

 as well as in the others ; though that which drives 

 them in both directions in the tropical countries is 

 drought, and not cold. 



We have a proof of the most important fact above 

 stated, namely, that the want of food is the grand 

 cause of migration in those geose which are domes- 

 ticated in our farm yards, and on our commons. 

 There is no question that all the original varieties of 

 tame geese are from the common wild goose, though, 

 since foreign races were imported, some diversity has 

 been produced by crossing ; and as geese, like all 

 animals in a state of domestication, are subject to very 

 considerable variations in size, and colour, there are 

 differences between the domestic geese of different 

 districts, but still these are all the same in habit ; and 

 unless when they occasionally join the wild ones, 

 which they do only in those remote parts of the 

 country where wild ones are numerous, and human 

 inhabitants few, they show no disposition to migrate, 

 provided they are supplied with food ; and then, if the 

 dry common happens to be burnt up, their migration 

 is only to the next humid meadow, where they find 

 a sufficient supply of grass. We shall now briefly 

 notice the principal species or varieties. 



THE COMMON WILD GOOSE, or GREY LAG GOOSE 

 (A. palustris}. This is generally understood to be 

 the parent stock of all the domestic species of Eu- 

 rope ; and according to the accounts, it is now much 

 less plentiful in England, even during the winter, than 

 it was formerly. This is no doubt, in a great part, 

 owing to the drainage of the fens, the increase of cul- 

 tivation, and the greater breadth of land which has 

 been covered with artificial plantations of trees ; for 

 the wild goose loves humidity, but shuns alike the 

 corn fields and the woods. In some parts of the north 

 of Scotland this goose still rears its young ; but it is 



OSE. 



doubtful whether there are any absolutely wild in the 

 fens of England : though as geese are reared in much 

 greater numbers, and more in a state of nature there 

 than they are at the farmyards, and on the commons 

 in other districts, they no doubt approach more nearly 

 to the wild state. 



The size varies a good deal ; but the average 

 length is fully two feet and a half, or even more ; the, 

 extent of the wings about five feet ; and the weight 

 about ten pounds. This last circumstance, however, 

 differs a good deal with the season. When the birds 

 first make their appearance, they are very much ex- 

 hausted, and their flesh is so lean and tough, that it is 

 by no means desirable. There are various reasons 

 why this should be the case. The length and fatigue 

 of the passage, for their excursion is at least five hun- 

 dred miles, and in many cases more, without any 

 food by the way, is of course one cause ; and another 

 is to be sought in the very circumstance of their being 

 driven from their northern haunts by their want of 

 food. They do not of course move till they feel the 

 pinch of hunger (for no animul does this), and thus 

 they begin their journey in an exhausted state. Such 

 of them as remain in the southerly places till the 

 spring, are, however, in much finer condition ; and 

 though they are never so fat, the flavour of their flesh 

 is superior to that of tame geese, and more nearly 

 resembles game ; and when they have been well fed, 

 and not fatigued by laborious flights, they are tender 

 as well as of good flavour. The colours of the com- 

 mon wild goose usually are : the legs and bill flesh 

 colour, with the nail on the upper mandible and the 

 claws dull white. The eyes are grey, as also are the 

 head, neck, and principal portion of the body. The 

 coverts of the wings, and also the quills, have white 

 edges, and the tips of the latter are black. The se- 

 condary quills are more or less black, and the tail is 

 of a dusky colour, bordered with white on the edjres 

 and at the point. The breast and the belly are white 

 with grey mottlings. 



This species of goose is not so well winged in pro- 

 portion to its weight as the smaller ones which visit 

 the British Islands ; and hence it is probably a more 

 southerly bird in all its migrations, though it has 

 been ascertained that some of these others still 

 breed in the wild and remote parts of the north of 

 Scotland. The flights of those birds, more especially 

 on their southern migrations, and toward the middle 

 of the latitudes over which they migrate, are by 

 no means uninteresting. They fly in flocks contain- 

 ng from about fifty to a hundred individuals, pursue 

 heir flight at a very considerable elevation, and 

 rarely, if ever, alight to rest during the day, unless in 

 ilaces where there is a considerable supply of food. 

 Their peculiar cry may often be heard during the 

 day, when they themselves are either entirely out of 

 sight, or so elevated as to appear like specks on the 

 sky ; but when they alight they are comparatively silent, 

 and as they feed chiefly during the night, contrary to 

 he habit of geese when resident, and in the tame 

 state, they are not often seen in proportion to their 

 numbers. There is a considerable difference in their 

 mode of disposing themselves when they alight merely 

 "or rest, which they do at certain wayfaring places ; 

 and when they alight for wintering or for a more 

 jrolonged stay. In the latter case they observe no 

 )articular order, but spread themselves over the pas- 

 ure, whereas, in the former, they always alight in 

 ine, and have a watchman or commander, a little 



