150 SHOOTING THE GOOSE 



congregated into large gaggles by mid-September, 

 and they do not separate again until the following 

 spring. The greylags of North Britain possess an 

 inveterate enemy in the person of the crofter, who 

 spares himself no pains to get their eggs, and often 

 swims out long distances to obtain them. When, 

 however, the young birds are capable of flight they 

 take ample revenge on the offending crofter, who 

 from August onwards to the period when his corn is 

 in stack must watch day and night to protect his 

 crops. 



Pink-footed geese are most abundant on the 

 Yorkshire wolds and the coasts of Norfolk and 

 Lincolnshire. I am indebted to Mr. Alex. J. 

 Napier, of Holkham, for some interesting notes con- 

 cerning their habits in Norfolk, where they are 

 annual visitors in large numbers. He says : 



Soon after their arrival, which, so far as the main 

 body is concerned, is usually about the end of October, 

 the geese betake themselves to the uplands to feed on 

 the clover ley. The farmers do not bless them, for the 

 amount of grass a goose can consume in a day is 

 astonishing. They do not appear to do much injury, 

 however, to old pastures, but to the young grass they 

 are very harmful, for, besides what they eat, they pull up 

 a great deal by the roots which remains unconsumed 

 and wasted. In addition to clover, geese also eat large 



