WILD GOOSE. 31 



within the circle of his observations, and the instant 

 he sounds the alarm, the whole flock betake them- 

 selves to flight. 



Exclusive of the value of the eggs of the tame 

 Geese, these birds are of immense importance in other 

 respects, and great quantities are kept in most of the 

 fenny counties of England, especially in Lincolnshire, 

 where several persons possess as many as a thousand 

 breeders, each of which, on an average, will bring 

 up seven young ones. They are bred for the sake of 

 their quills and feathers, for which they are stripped, 

 while alive, once in the year for their quills, and no 

 less than five times for their feathers. The first 

 plucking commences about Lady-day for both, and 

 the other four between that time and Michaelmas. 

 It is said that, in general, the birds do not suffer 

 very much from this operation ; but the young ones 

 are very noisy and unruly. Pennant says that gos- 

 lings of only six weeks old are not spared, for their 

 tails are plucked to inure them early to the custom. 

 The possessors, except in this cruel practice, are said 

 to treat them with great kindness, lodging them very 

 often even in the same room with themselves. These 

 Geese usually breed but once a-year, but if well kept 

 they sometimes hatch twice in a season. During 

 their sitting, each bird has a space allotted to it in 

 rows of wicker pens, placed one above another, tier 

 above tier. Some persons place water and corn near 

 the nests, others drive them to the water twice a 

 day, and replace each female upon her own nest as 

 soon as she returns. This business requires the 

 attendance of the gozzard, or goose-herd, a month 



