i 9 4 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



being much smaller and far less noisy than in the even- 

 ing. On reaching the hills they perchance collect in one 

 big field the fields there range in size from something 

 like 40 acres up to 100 acres or more or they may 

 pitch in different places, and on being disturbed by the 

 shepherds and farm-hands during the day, so get united 

 until at night they may be observed making the return 

 journey in one or more huge gaggles. Gaggle is truly a 

 fitting term for one of these flocks of wild geese, which, 

 as observed, are most clamorous on their evening flight, 

 and certainly when heard at a distance their ceaseless 

 paean proves most pleasing harmony. In that district 

 some years ago, when in company with a friend and the 

 farmer upon whose land we were shooting, I saw a 

 portion of one field literally blued over with these wild 

 geese. We were standing under the shelter of a larch 

 plantation a short distance away, and enjoyed this 

 fascinating sight for a considerable time. We agreed, 

 after some attempt at computation, that there were not 

 less than 3000, but probably nearer 4000 geese in the 

 company. 



The Pink-footed geese which habitually resort to the 

 Holkham marshes in North Norfolk, on the estate of the 

 Earl of Leicester, also commence to arrive there at the 

 end of September. These marshes are in reality rich 

 meadows and grazing grounds which an elaborate system 

 of drainage and embankments have recovered from tidal 

 influences. It is an extensive area of grass, without any 

 occupied houses on it ; and as the owner allows no 

 molestation of the geese save on a few rare occasions, 

 they, as a natural consequence, acquire confidence and 

 become remarkably tame. The passing of the trains on 

 the railway near does not seem to alarm them, for from 



