

BRENT GOOSE. 165 



with us through all the cold months of the year, particu- 

 larly on the east and south coast. It is seldom seen on 

 fresh water in the interior, unless wounded ; hut is truly 

 a marine species, passing a great portion of the day and 

 night out at sea, at other times frequenting extensive 

 muddy flats and sand hars on the sea-shore, which are 

 exposed at every ehh tide, and the birds make their ap- 

 pearance at these their feeding places, as soon as, or even 

 a short time before the water leaves the ground exposed, 

 remaining there, if undisturbed, till the tide flows over 

 the ground again. In such situations the large flocks that 

 frequent certain favourite localities are quite extraordinary. 

 The author of Wild Sports in the West of Ireland says, 

 " they come here in immense multitudes ; I saw from the 

 window a considerable extent of sand literally black with 

 this migratory tribe ;" and they are equally numerous on 

 other parts of the Irish coast. 



Colonel Hawker, in his very amusing Instructions to 

 young sportsmen, referring to Wild Fowl shooting on the 

 coasts of Dorsetshire and Hampshire, observes, " towards 

 November or December, we have the Brent Geese, which 

 are always wild, unless in very hard weather. In calm 

 weather these Geese have the cunning in general to leave 

 the mud as soon as the tide flows high enough to bear 

 an enemy ; and then they go off to sea, and feed on the 

 drifting weeds. To kill Brent Geese by day, get out of 

 sight in a small punt, at low water, and keep as near as 

 possible to the edge of the sea. You will then hear them 

 coming like a pack of hounds in full cry, and they will 

 repeatedly pass within fair shot, provided you are well 

 concealed, and the weather is windy to make them fly 

 low. Before you fire at them, spring suddenly up, and 

 these awkward birds will be in such a fright as to hover 



