AGE THE GOOSE-PIT. 101 



far inferior to the tame. The foreign fancy varieties 

 of the goose are chiefly ornamental for lawns and 

 waters, and as objects of curiosity. 



A GOOSE on a farm in Scotland, about seven 

 years since, of the clearly ascertained age of eighty- 

 one years, healthy and vigorous, was killed by a 

 sow, whilst sitting over her eggs ; it was supposed 

 she might have lived still many years, and her fecun- 

 dity appeared to be permanent. Other geese have 

 been proved to reach the age of seventy years. 



.It will not prove tedious, I trust, to dilate yet 

 awhile, in the anecdotal way, on this subject, though 

 a goose. There is something extremely anomalous 

 in the disposition of this apparently pacific and 

 harmless species, which, nevertheless, possesses high 

 courage, and is even naturally of pugnacious habits. 

 I have seen two geese fighting and tearing each 

 other with the utmost rage and virulence, as if de- 

 termined to fight it out, mordicus, to death, whilst 

 the gander stood looking on with the utmost apathy 

 and stupidity of unconcern. At St. Petersburgh, 

 in Russia, says Dr. Granville, they have no cock- 

 pits, but they have a goose-pit ! when, in the 

 spring, they fight ganders, trained to the sport, 

 and so peck at each other's shoulders till they 

 draw blood. These ganders have been sold as 

 high as five hundred roubles each ; and the 

 sport prevails to a degree of enthusiasm among 

 the hemp-merchants. Strange that the vicious 

 and inhuman curiosity of man can delight to arouse 

 and stimulate the principles of enmity and cruelty 



