THE CANADA GANDER. 359 



in return ; sometimes hiding behind a bush, or concealing 

 itself in the shrubs, and springing unexpectedly in the midst 

 of them, and then purr and rub itself against their sides. One 

 pullet, in particular, was an especial favourite ; it accompanied 

 her every day. to her nest, which was under the boards of an 

 out-house, and would then lie down at a short distance. The 

 person who first noticed this circumstance, was in the habit 

 of feeding the kitten, and it was therefore less shy with him 

 than any one else ; he had observed it in the position de- 

 scribed without perceiving the pullet, but when he did, he 

 was induced to watch whether it remained there after she 

 had left her nest. He at length observed her fly off and join 

 the other fowls, when the kitten immediately left its place and 

 followed the pullet, setting up its tail and purring as if much 

 pleased. It however did not confine itself to one set of 

 chickens only, but every fresh brood excited its interest, and 

 was more or less taken under its protection, the parent hen 

 not appearing the least alarmed. 



The Canada Geese appear to be peculiarly susceptible birds, 

 and will sometimes make up by imagination or fancy what 

 is deficient in reality. Thus, a Canada Gander in a noble- 

 man's park, near Windsor, having no mate, for two Springs 

 regularly mounted guard opposite a drawbridge, in front of a 

 thicket, where, it was clear, he imagined there was a nest, 

 and defended the approaches very courageously, continuing 

 this ideal defence till the first brood of ducklings appeared 

 from some other quarter, which he immediately took under 

 his protection; and in the second year he thus actually 

 chaperoned twenty -five. It should be added, that there was 

 no nest of any kind whatever within the precincts which he 

 so strenuously guarded. 



But if, in this case, we may smile at the old Gander's 

 fancy and credulity, in believing eggs to be hatching where 

 none were laid, we can quote another, showing that a Goose 

 is occasionally possessed of a keen sense, enabling her to 

 detect imposition, and distinguish her own eggs from others 

 closely resembling them. A Goose, belonging to a clergy - 

 "man in Cheshire, was set (as it is termed) on six or eight 



