262 THE GUN: AFIELD AND AFLOAT 



ground, without hearing that inspiriting music emitted 

 by a skein of grey geese as it sweeps across a country. 

 It may therefore surprise some wild-fowlers not a little 

 to learn that grey geese resort annually in hundreds, nay, 

 in thousands, to certain clearly-defined areas in this 

 country, be the weather mild or severe. Essentially in- 

 land feeders, the grey geese usually pitch upon some 

 spot where grassy marshes or corn and stubble fields lie 

 within easy flight from the sea-shore or some wide 

 estuary. Unless driven by deep snow or heavy frosts to 

 seek fresh pastures, the birds seldom stray far from their 

 chosen haunt Thus it is that persons residing but a 

 few miles from a strong colony of grey geese, or within 

 similar distance of the line regularly taken by hundreds 

 of them on the morning and evening flight to and from 

 the feeding-ground, may long remain ignorant of the 

 fact that these fine creatures have taken up residence in 

 the district. Now and again their tell-tale chorus is 

 borne upon the breeze as a dense cloudlike mass of the 

 birds is seen in the distance, or as, possibly, a skein of 

 geese a score yards long trails like a thin thread across 

 the sky a couple of miles away. But this is the most 

 that is to be seen of them, and the anxious gunner 

 discovers that it is necessary to be right on the spot if 

 he would have sport with these birds. 



Whenever deep snow covers their feeding-ground, and 

 exceptionally severe winter weather renders inaccessible 

 everything in the shape of green food and corn, the 

 large gatherings of geese get broken up and scattered 

 about the country ; birds are then met with in situations 

 where they are rarely seen in mild weather. 



It is a remarkable fact that all wild geese evince strong 

 partiality for certain districts. Thus we find one species 



