WILD FOWL. 63 



distress, flying about m an irregular manner, and for a consi- 

 derable time, over the same quarter, making a great clamor. 

 On these occasions, should they approach the earth, and alight, 

 which they sometimes do, to rest and recollect themselves, the 

 only hospitality they meet with, is death and destruction from a 

 whole neighborhood, already in arms for their ruin. Wounded 

 Geese have, in numerous instances, been completely domesti- 

 cated, and readily pair with the tame Gray Geese. The off- 

 spring are said to be larger than either, but the characteristic 

 mark of the Wild Goose still predominate. The gunners on 

 the sea-shore here, have long been in the practice of taming the 

 wounded of both sexes, and have sometimes succeeded in get- 

 ting them to pair and produce. The female always seeks out 

 the most solitary place for her nest, not far from the water. On 

 the approach of every spring, however, these birds discover 

 symptoms of great' uneasiness, frequently looking up into the 

 air, and attempting to go off. Some whose wings have been 

 closely cut, have travelled on foot in a northern direction, and 

 have been found at the distance of several miles from home. 

 They hail every flock that passes overhead, and the salute is 

 sure to be returned by the voyagers, who are only prevented 

 from alighting among them by the presence and habitations of 

 man. The gunners take one or two of these domesticated 

 Geese with them, to those parts of the marshes on which the 

 wild ones are accustomed to fly, and concealing themselves 

 within gun-shot, wait for a flight, which is no sooner perceived 

 by the decoy Geese, than they begin calling aloud, until the 

 whole flock approaches so near as to give them an opportunity 

 of discharging two, and sometimes three, loaded muskets among 

 them, by which great havoc is made. 



" The Wild Goose, when in good order, weighs from ten to 

 twelve, and sometimes fourteen pounds. They are sold in the 

 Philadelphia markets at from seventy-five cents to one dollar 

 each, and are estimated to yield half a pound of feathers a-piece. 

 which produces twenty-five or thirty cents more. The Canada 

 Goose is now domesticated inimmerous quarters of the country, 



