152 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



his companions, by his struggles and cries, tells a 

 warning not easily forgotten by his relations, who 

 at once quit the spot for a long period. In pitfalls, 

 as described, the birds are so quietly taken that I 

 have seen the gaggle busily feeding round the 

 captive, who, with but tail in view, is well nigh 

 motionless from the moment he is overbalanced. 



Geese are not as a rule seen in large gaggles till 

 the beginning of November. They remain till the 

 middle of April, Bean and Brent Geese often remain- 

 ing till even the ist or so of May ; but a favourable 

 wind will sweep them away earlier than wont, espe- 

 cially if it occurs with a bright moon. On the other 

 hand, if adverse gales prevail, their departure is 

 delayed. 



On the 1 5th April, 1881, I saw upwards of two 

 thousand Brent Geese in a bay off the Kerry coast ; 

 their presence, by Act of Parliament, being of no 

 service to the local fowlers. These poor men, 

 though at times starving for want of a shilling, 

 view a source of profit, the gift of Providence, 

 before their eyes from day to day. There can be 

 no object in protecting Brent Geese, for they never 

 nest in the British Islands. 



The heaviest shot at geese I ever knew of per- 

 sonally was made by Grimes, the Limerick fowler, 

 who obtained forty-three of the Bean species at 

 one shot, on the ooze at the mouth of the River 

 Maigue, co. Limerick. This was in January 1880. 

 His gun carries two and a quarter pounds of shot, 

 and a half-pound of powder. One of the next best 

 I am aware of was made by Mr. Graves, one of the 

 keenest fowlers that ever lived, and who, about the 



