THE BEAN GOOSE. 147 



was wrong, they knew not what. I never yet saw 

 them associate on such occasions with a decoy bird. 



One of the best shots I ever made at geese 

 happened in this wise. My decoy bird having 

 twisted his fastening round both legs, lay helpless, 

 feet in the air, and head turning from side to side. 

 I was in the act of starting to his assistance, that I 

 might set him upright, when a large gaggle of 

 Bean Geese winged slowly over the spot, hesitated, 

 turned, wheeled, and finally alighted some hundred 

 yards from my prostrate captive. After long con- 

 ference, they rose, as I thought, to depart startled, 

 though at first interested, in seeing one of their 

 species in such a plight. They, however, pitched 

 again, and crowded round the decoy, cackling 

 vociferously, and without more ado beat and pecked 

 their relation to death. They then walked off a 

 few yards, regarded the corpse fixedly for some 

 moments, and calmly sought food and repose. 

 Whilst this tragedy was being enacted, my punt 

 was stealing nearer and nearer, until eventually 

 the slaughter of the decoy bird was avenged, and 

 twenty-eight of the visitors were laid low. 



By far the commonest wild-goose of Ireland is 

 THE BEAN GOOSE (Anser segetum), which is to be 

 seen in enormous gaggles for six months of every 

 year. It is essentially an inland feeder, on bogs and 

 meadows ; but will fly to the mud-banks and slob of 

 the tide at dusk, to pass the night. These geese fre- 

 quent every bog and marsh in Ireland which afford 

 food and security from molestation. They are always 

 found inland in large numbers, save in frost, when they 

 fly down to the meadows and soft green reclaimed 



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