210 BIRD-LIFE OF THE BORDERS. 



at some distance) that they had dropped in the water, and 

 the tide being already on ebb, we went into action at once. 

 Never had I felt such confidence in the prospect of at last 

 getting a really good "rake" at these impracticable fowl. 

 They sat massed more thickly than a battalion of Guards, 

 and as the punt shot ahead the great birds towered tall as 

 a herd of giraffes before us. I know my heart fairly bumped 

 on the bottom-boards of the boat as momentarily we seemed 

 to be getting on level terms with fowl that had so long 

 defied us. Nearer still .... and then that horrid hissing 

 sound told we were touching the sand. Only a yard or two 

 nearer could she possibly float when, with another mighty 

 outcry, up rose the geese and I fired. " How many down?" 

 and I jumped to my knees, only to see with unspeakable 

 vexation that the whole pack was scatheless. The great size 

 and high carriage of these big Geese (they were sitting dry, 

 not afloat as we had hoped) had completely deceived us, and 

 instead of being well within 100 yards, the range, we found, 

 had been nearly double. Then for six miles we " poled " 

 homewards in silence, misery, and darkness. 



To return to the habits of the Geese. With the first frosts 

 of December, nearly all those which have arrived in October 

 disappear from our coast. The departure of the " Harvest- 

 Geese " on the approach of winter is one of the set phases 

 in their life-histories. Then, in spring, they turn up again, 

 and during March and April spend some six weeks or so 

 here, on their way north. The local gunners hold that 

 they leave us as soon as the stubbles are exhausted, and 

 return in spring for the seed-corn ; but it is probable that 

 the weather, rather than food- supply, is the main cause of 

 their departure. One other fact remains to be considered, 

 as bearing on specific distribution : namely, that during the 

 hardest and most severe winters, in January and February, 

 there is often to be seen an abundance of Grey Geese fre- 

 quenting the same haunts, and living identically the same 

 life as those already described, but which have departed. 

 From an examination of the limited number of specimens 

 I have had the opportunity of handling, all these hard- 

 weather, or mid- winter geese appear to belong to the Bean 



