128 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE GOOSE 



then a band of orange round the beak, and then the 

 rest of the beak black. The legs and feet are orange. 

 The bean goose, like the other grey geese, reaches us 

 in September and October. The bird does not nest 

 in our islands, though it is said at one time to have 

 bred in Sutherlandshire, Westmorland, and the 

 Hebrides. The ordinary habits of the bean goose 

 lead it to remain in some open, and therefore safe, 

 feeding-place by day, and with the coming of dusk to 

 journey to the coast, returning to its inland haunt at 

 dawn. Not so very infrequently a gaggle of bean 

 geese will abandon the shore altogether and make 

 their home in some district far removed from salt 

 water. The bean goose is common in various parts 

 of the kingdom. Like all geese, it is an extremely 

 wary bird. The bean goose and this also applies 

 to the others, both black and grey if in good 

 condition when shot, and if thoroughly well hung 

 afterwards, is a fairly palatable bird. A goose is 

 improved for table purposes if buried for twenty- 

 four hours in loose earth soon after it has been 

 killed. 



Food : Vegetable ; principally grass, young corn, 

 and grain. 



