WILD GEESE 135 



period for them, as their means of escape is limited to 

 hiding away in the marshes, at which they are very 

 skillful, or else keeping out in the center of lakes of 

 other large bodies of water. Many, however, are killed 

 at this period, and sometimes whole flocks are captured 

 alive, of which fact Hearne relates an instance when some 

 Indians drove into Fort Prince of Wales, on the Churchill 

 River, forty-one old and young birds which were in- 

 capable of flying, and which were herded as easily as if 

 they had been domesticated.* A game keeper undoubt- 

 edly can rapidly increase the numbers of the geese since 

 he protects them from their natural enemies. 



Where only a few geese of one family, or closely re- 

 lated birds are held in captivity, it may be the geese do 

 not breed because they are too closely related and that 

 if the birds be given a wider field for selection they will 

 do better. I hope to make some experiments next season 

 with geese procured in Dakota and in New England and 

 Virginia and the reader who undertakes game preserv- 

 ing, no doubt, can make similar experiments to advan- 

 tage, not only with geese, but with several species of 

 ducks. 



The Canada geese are long-lived birds. Mr. Whealton, 

 the largest breeder of wild geese in the United States, 

 says, in his circular that he has been breeding over fifty 

 years and some of his oldest breeders are well past the 

 half century mark. In breeding he has eliminated the 

 unfit, keeping only the best of his own for that purpose, 

 as well as adding each season the largest wild ganders 

 or "leaders" of the Canadas taken on the coast. He now 

 has over 500 geese "scattered around the island (Chin- 



*Wild Fowl of North America. D. G. Elliot. P. 58. 



