242 THE AMERICAN WILD GOOSE. 



visits, he will soon secure their confidence, and be able 

 to form his own judgment when they may be suffered 

 to range at large. 



The young are active, self-helping little things. Their 

 down is of a dirty-grey, a color very difficult to describe, 

 with darker patches here and there like the young of 

 the China goose. Their bill, eyes, and legs are black. 

 They give no trouble in rearing. The old ones lead 

 them to the places where suitable food is to be obtained. 

 The keeper, by a liberal supply of grain or Indian corn, 

 can bring them forward for the table better than by 

 shutting them up to fat ; and before Christmas, the pa- 

 rents should be again alone in their domain. They will 

 continue to increase in size and beauty for some years, 

 and should have been pinioned at the first joint of the, 

 wing, reckoning from the tip, in the manner described 

 for the swan ; the young that are to be eaten had better 

 remain unmutilated. Old birds, killed in the autumn, 

 after they have recovered from moulting, and before 

 they have begun to think about the breeding time, would 

 make excellent meat if cut into small portions, stewed 

 slowly five or six hours with savory condiments, and 

 made into pies the next day. " 'Tis the soup that makes 

 the soldier," say the French. By roasting or broiling 

 similar "joints," we lose the large quantity of nutriment 

 contained in the bones and cartilages, besides having to 

 swallow tough, what we might easily make tender. The 

 young, as well as the old, in some parts of this coun- 

 try, are salted and boiled ; they would probably please 

 most palates better, if cooked and served swan fashion. 

 The young male has a frequent disposition to neglect 

 his own mate, and give himself up to unlicenced com- 

 panionship. Mr. Dixon had one that deserted his 

 partner, to her evident grief, and made most furious love 

 to one of a flock of tame geese, separating her from the 

 rest, not permitting any other water bird to swim near 

 her, stretching out his neck stiffly on a level with the 

 water, opening his red-lined throat to its utmost extent, 

 hissing, grunting, sighing, trumpeting, winking his bright, 

 black eyes, tossing his head madly, and all kinds of folly. 

 Mr. D. did not choose to permit such conduct ; but as often 



