198 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



very large and swan-like in their order and method of 

 flight, and it is probable that they were the larger of the 

 two forms of Snow geese common to the North American 

 continent. 



The Grey-lag goose is now the only representative of 

 its family remaining in these islands throughout the 

 summer, some few still bringing off their young in 

 remote districts in Scotland. Formerly, this goose had 

 stronger claim to be regarded as our common wild 

 goose, for it then bred in the Fen districts ; also, fairly 

 abundantly, in the Carrs cf East Yorkshire and, no 

 doubt, elsewhere. Now, however, it is far from being 

 our commonest wild goose ; indeed, my experience 

 causes me to regard it as the one grey goose, among 

 those species usually regarded as common to this 

 country, seldomest met with in England in the shoot- 

 ing season. In the remarkably equable climate of the 

 Outer Hebrides this goose is, I believe, resident through- 

 out the year. On one or two islands of that group I have 

 found the Grey-lag tolerably numerous in winter. I was 

 also recently informed by those of the crofters capable of 

 conversing in English that these geese nest in the heather, 

 and, singular to say, often in close proximity to the 

 hooded crow, the latter being to some extent a ground- 

 nester on those treeless islands. 



On the ripening of their scanty patches of oats, the 

 crofters told me that in some situations they were hardly 

 put to it to prevent these great geese from gobbling up 

 the best of the crop ; in daylight and moonlight strict 

 guard had to be kept. The Grey-lag may be identified 

 at some distance by means of the light grey patches on 

 its wings and by its larger size. It is longer and heavier 

 than the rest of the geese, measuring about 33 in. to 35 



