WILD-GOOSE SHOOTING. 181 



Brent-geese also afford good sport to the coast or shore-gunner, 

 especially in thick weather, when they always fly low in the air, and 

 appear bewildered, sometimes coming close to the land. The sportsman 

 should conceal himself behind some embankment, temporary or other- 

 wise ; and in the absence of such, or a screen of any sort to protect 

 him from view, he should lie down upon his back on the beach, keep- 

 ing himself perfectly still ; when in all probability the whole gaggle 

 may come within easy range, mistaking his live carcase for a bundle 

 of sea-weed : he should then rise suddenly to his legs, when they 

 will immediately turn, and in their haste to avoid the human form, 

 present him a chance of killing two or three pair at a shot ; but he 

 will find some difficulty in recovering* those which are not killed : 

 for when pursued by a dog, black-geese often dive, and it must be a 

 clever animal to catch a winged goose in deep water. When the 

 weather is very windy they fly low, and hover about the coast in 

 large gaggles, frequently passing within fair shot of the beach-gunner. 

 They appear to observe strict discipline in their order of flight, some- 

 times flying in a breast-like line, with all the regularity of a troop of 

 soldiers in marching order, at other times they fly in angular 

 lines ; but there is not generally so much regularity in large gaggles 

 as small ones. They are known when on the wing, by their black- 

 looking bodies and white tails. 



Latham mentions that wild-geese are sometimes attacked by 

 falcons j when, notwithstanding the rapacity and spirit of the bird of 

 prey, the wild-goose generally comes off victoriously.* 



Pliny also alludes to the attack upon large water- fowl by rapa- 

 cious birds, and states that, after seizing upon their prey, they are 

 sometimes not able to wield it, but are drawn under water by the 

 aquatic fowl, and so drowned, f 



* " While these hawks here mentioned be remaining with us in the heart of 

 England, they doe prey upon divers and sundry sorts of fowls, as brants (Brent 

 geese), wild-geese, &c. ; but they are, especially the passenger-soar-falcons or the 

 young hawgards, of great metal and spirit that, for want of understanding their own 

 harme, doe venture upon such unwealdy prey, who, notwithstanding, will afterwards 

 learn to know their own error, and, by being brusht and bearen by those shrewd 

 opponents, will desist, and leave off to meddle with them any more." Latham's 

 Falconry : A.D. 1658. 



* " Saepe et aquilse ipsse non tolerantes pondus ad prehensum una merguntur." 

 Lib. x. cap. iii. 



