400 THE WILD GOOSE. 



vember immediately reduced to two, (in order to guard against 

 accident to one,) or, at the most, three pairs, in the very 

 largest park, and greatest extent of water, possessed by our no 

 bility. Such pairs should be retained, as differ as much in age, 

 as may be consistent with their breeding powers ; and also, if 

 possible, those should be selected which have been observed to 

 entertain a mutual dislike, in order that they may fix their 

 nests at a distance from each other. They should previously 

 have become attached to their keeper, though not to their co- 

 mates, that they may suffer him to approach and feed them 

 and their Goslings liberally, and so bring them into thoroughly 

 good condition by killing-time. 



The stock-birds ought to be well supplied with corn during 

 winter when the grass grows little or not at all, to promote 

 early laying; but they usually have just half a dozen kernels 

 of barley thrown down to them now and then. No one can 

 blame them, if they occasionally stray out of bounds in search 

 of food ; but they are then accused of restlessness, shyness, 

 and so on. They have been literally starved out. It is no 

 migratory impulse that sets them on the move, but over- 

 crowding and under-feeding; in proof of which, they will 

 generally return of their own accord. I am speaking of birds 

 that have been bred in captivity for several generations. 

 Give them room and food enough, and they will stay con- 

 tentedly at home. Curtail their supplies, and they become 

 like "darkness" in Spofforth's well-known glee; " flies away" 

 is ever and again the burden of their song. The Canada 

 Goose is a very large bird, and cannot be expected to live and 

 get fat upon air. If a farmer's wife were to treat her Turkeys 

 as the Canada Goslings are usually served, they would at 

 Christmas be just as tough and stringy, and uneatable, if in- 

 deed they survived the pinching regimen so long. Many 

 people in the country make the same difference in their treat- 

 ment of their ornamental Fowls and their ordinary stock, that 



