THE CHINA GOOSE. 425 



The Goose, on leaving her nest to feed, covers her Eggs care- 

 fully. Any difficulty in rearing them results from want of 

 proper management. If, for instance, when the bird does at 

 length sit, she is insufficiently supplied with Eggs, or with those 

 which have been kept too long; or if she be permitted to be 

 disturbed by dogs, &c. ; if she be suffered to steal a nest, and 

 sit on more than she can cover things will go wrong. The 

 great number of Eggs laid may perhaps cause an uncertainty 

 that each one is properly fecundated. A China Goose, after 

 sitting a fortnight, was driven from her nest by a sow that had 

 been permitted to get loose : the Eggs were eaten, shells and 

 all, and the poor bird expressed her agony of mind, both by 

 her cries and actions. After she became a little calm, her 

 nest was re-made and supplied with fresh Eggs. She continued 

 to sit for three weeks longer, as well as could be. At the end 

 of the usual period of five weeks, she gave up her task as use- 

 less, believing the Eggs to be addled, which they were not ; 

 and we unfortunately knew no language by which' we could 

 persuade her that if she would only persevere for another fort- 

 night, the reproach of barrenness would be taken away from her. 



These are annoying cases to practical ornithotrophists. But 

 even here the difficulty need not have been insurmountable; 

 and where there's a will there's a way. A worthy old couple 

 had the misfortune to have their sitting Goose killed in one 

 of her daily promenades, a few days before the Goslings were 

 ready to leave the shell. What was to be done ? The Eggs 

 were cooling fast; no time was to be lost. Difficult emer- 

 gencies excite brilliant efforts of genius. In an instant the 

 old man was undressed and in bed. To him the orphan Eggs 

 were transferred. When he grew tired of his lying-in, the 

 old lady took her turn/*till the Goslings were safely hatched. 



The prevailing colour of the plumage of the China Goose is 

 a brown, which has aptly been compared to the colour of 

 wheat. The different shades are very harmoniously blended, 



