596 



A HISTORY OF 



CHAPTER CXXXIII. 



OF THE GOOSE, AND ITS VARIETIES. 



THE Goose, in its domestic state, exhibits a 

 variety of colours. The wild goose always 

 retains the same marks ; the whole upper 

 part is ash-coloured ; the breast and belly are 

 of a dirty white ; the bill is narrow at the 

 base, and at the tip it is black ; the legs are of 

 a saffron colour, and the claws black. These 

 marks are seldom found in the tame ; whose 

 bill is entirely red, and whose legs are entirely 

 brown. The wild goose is rather less than 

 the tame ; but both invariably retain a white 

 ring round their tail, which shows that they 

 are both descended from the same original. 



The wild goose is supposed to breed in the 

 northern parts of Europe ; and, in the be- 

 ginning of winter, to descend into more tem- 

 perate regions. They are often seen flying at 

 very great heights, in flocks from fifty to a 

 hundred, and seldom resting by day. Their 

 cry is frequently heard, when they are at an 

 imperceptible distance above us ; and this 

 seems bandied from one to the other, as among 

 hounds in the pursuit. Whether this be the 

 note of mutual encouragement, or the neces- 

 sary consequence of respiration, is doubtful ; 

 but they seldom exert it when they alight in 

 these journeys. 



Upon their coming to the ground by day, 

 they range themselves in a line, like cranes ; 

 and seem rather to have descended for rest, 

 than for other refreshment. When they have 

 sat in this manner for an hour or two, I have 

 heard one of them, with a loud long note, 

 sound a kind of charge, to which the rest 

 punctually attended, and they pursued their 

 journey with renewed alacrity. Their flight 

 is very regularly arranged : they either go in 

 a line abreast, or in two lines, joining in an 

 angle in the middle. I doubt whether the 

 form of their flight be thus arranged to cut the 

 air with greater ease, as is commonly believed ; 

 I am more apt to think it is to present a 

 smaller mark to fowlers from below. A bul- 

 let might easily reach them, if huddled together 

 in a flock, and the same discharge might de- 



stroy several at once ; but, by their manner of 

 flying, no shot from below can affect above 

 one of them ; and from the height at which 

 they fly, this is not easy to be hit. 



The Barnacle differs in some respects from 

 both these; being less than either, with a 

 black bill, much shorter than either of the 

 preceding. It is scarcely necessary to com- 

 bat the idle error of this bird's being bred from 

 a shell sticking to ships' bottoms ; it is well 

 known to be hatched from an egg in the or- 

 dinary manner, and to differ in very few par- 

 ticulars from all the rest of its kind. 



The Brent Goose is still less than the former, 

 and not bigger than a Muscovy duck, except 

 that the body is longer. The head, neck, 

 and upper part of the breast, are black ; but 

 about the middle of the neck, on each side, 

 are two small spots or lines of white, whjch 

 together appear like a ring. 



These, and many other varieties, are found 

 in this kind ; which agree in one common 

 character of feeding upon vegetables, and be- 

 ing remarkable for their fecundity. Of these, 

 however, the tame goose is the most fruitful. 

 Having less to fear from its enemies, leading a 

 securer and a more plentiful life, its prolific 

 powers increase in proportion to its ease ; and 

 though the wild goose seldom lays above eight 

 eggs, the tame goose is often seen to lay above 

 twenty. The female hatches her eggs with 

 great assiduity ; while the gander visits her 

 twice or thrice a day, and sometimes drives 

 her off to take her place, where he sits with 

 great state and composure. 



But beyond that of all animals is his pride 

 when the young are excluded : he seems then 

 to consider himself as a champion, not only 

 obliged to defend his young, but also to keep 

 off the suspicion of danger ; he pursues dogs 

 and men that never attempt to molest him : 

 and, though the most harmless thing alive, is 

 then the most petulant and provoking. When, 

 in this manner, he has pursued the calf or the 

 mastiff, to whose contempt alone he is indebted 



