416 THE DOMESTIC GOOSE. 



wholesome, solid, savoury flesh for all parties in their due 

 proportion. 



They are accused, by some, of rendering the spots where 

 they feed offensive to other stock ; but the secret of this is 

 very simple. A Horse bites closer than an Ox, a Sheep goes 

 nearer to the ground than a Horse, but, after the sharpest 

 shaving by Sheep, the Goose will polish up the turf, and grow 

 fat upon the remnants of others. Consequently, where Geese 

 are kept in great numbers on a small area, little will be left 

 to maintain any other grass-eating creature. But if the com- 

 mons are not short, it will not be found that other grazing 

 animals object to feed either together with, or immediately 

 after a flock of Geese. 



Many instances of the longevity of the Goose are on record, 

 and it is needless to repeat them. I have myself seen one 

 upwards of thirty years of age, followed by a thriving family; 

 but they are capable of reaching double and treble that extent 

 of life. Indeed, the duration of the existence of the Goose 

 seems to be indefinitely prolonged, and not terminable by the 

 usual causes of decay and old age, (like Pliny's Eagle, which 

 would live for ever, did not the upper mandible become so 

 excessively curved as to prevent eating, and cause death from 

 starvation ;) and reminding us of the accounts, apparently not 

 fabulous, which we hear in these modern times, respecting the 

 Pelican and the cartilaginous fishes. One thing is certain, 

 that housewives do not consider Geese to be worth much for 

 breeding purposes, till they are four or five years old. They 

 will lay and produce some few young ones in the course of 

 their second summer; but older birds fetch much higher 

 prices as stock. Three or four Geese may be allotted to one 

 Gander ; the male bird is known by being, generally, white, and 

 also by his bold and patronizing carriage. He is an attentive 

 sentinel while his dames are incubating, but renders them no 

 personal assistance by taking his turn upon the nest an error 



