146 SHOOTING THE GOOSE 



with their manners and customs is needed to convince 

 the fowler of their artful nature, for it is apparent 

 in all their actions and movements. Now and again 

 he may possibly meet with some small belated parties 

 of geese when they first arrive on our shores, or 

 during exceptionally severe winters, which are not 

 quite so sophisticated; but large 'gaggles' of these 

 birds are, as a rule, vexatiously difficult to outwit. In 

 matters of discipline, too, wild geese are invariably 

 strict, each individual bird having special duties of 

 its own to perform, either as ' scout ' or ' sentinel,' 

 and every 'gaggle' their recognised leaders to guide 

 them in their wanderings from place to place. 



The advent of wild geese in autumn is thus 

 welcomed with keen delight by all sportsmen, and, 

 though the contents of the day's bag may often fall 

 far short of his anticipations, the fowler has generally 

 some pleasing remembrance of his adventures to con- 

 sole him for his lack of sport. With bated breath he 

 may have anxiously watched for the smallest indica- 

 tion in the movements of his quarry which seemed 

 to hold out a prospect of obtaining a shot at them, and 

 possibly in despair he may have fruitlessly attempted 

 to stalk the geese in the open. The promise of sport 

 will, however, have been ever present, and he will 

 have gained some insight into their habits which 



