2\S A HISTORY OF 



a suosequent act, the punishment for taking their eggs was imprison- 

 ment for a year and a day, and a fine at the king's will. At present 

 tney are but little valued for the delicacy of their flesh ; but many are 

 still preserved for their beauty. We see multitudes on the Thame? 

 and Trent ; but nowhere greater numbers than on the salt water in 

 l** of the sea near Abbotsbury, in Dorsetshire. 



CHAPTER XI. 



OP THE GOOSE AND ITS VARIETIES. 



'1 HE Goose, in its domestic state, exhibits a variety of colours. 

 The wild goose always retains the same marks ; the whole upper 

 part is ash-coloured ; the breast and belly are of a dirty white ; the bill 

 is narrow at the base, and at the tip it is black ; the legs are of a saf- 

 fron colour, and the claws black. These marks are seldom found in 

 the tame, whose bill is entirely red, and whose legs are entirely 

 brown. The wild goose is rather less than the tame ; but both inva- 

 riably retain a white ring round their tail, which shows that they are 

 both descended from the same original. 



The wild goose is supposed to breed in the northern parts of 

 Europe ; and, in the beginning of winter, to descend into more tempe- 

 rate regions. They are often seen flying at very great heights, in 

 flocks from fifty to a hundred, and seldom resting by day. Their cry 

 is frequently heard when they are at an imperceptible distance above 

 us ; and this seems bandied from one to the other, as among hounds 

 in the pursuit. Whether this be the note of mutual encouragement 

 or the necessary consequence of respiration, is doubtful ; but they 

 seldom exert it when they alight in these journeys. 



Upon their coming to the ground by day, they range themselves in 

 a line, like cranes ; and seem rather to have descended for rest, than 

 for other refreshment. When they have sat in this manner for an 

 hour or two, I have heard one of them, with a loud long note, sound 

 a kind of charge, to which the rest punctually attended, and they pur- 

 sued their journey with renewed alacrity. Their flight is very regu- 

 larly arranged : they either go in a line abreast, or in two lines, join- 

 ing in an angle in the middle. I doubt whether the form of their 

 flight be thus arranged to cut the air with greater ease, as is com- 

 ynonly believed ; I am more apt to think it is to present a smaller mark 

 to fowlers from below. A bullet might easily reach *hem, if huddled 

 together in a flock, and the same discharge might destroy several at 

 once ; but, by thei, manner of flying, no shot from below can affect 

 above one of them ; and from the height at which they fly, this is not 

 easy *.o be hit. 



The Barnacle differs in some respects from both these; being less 

 than either with a black bill, much shorter than either of the pre- 



