NATATORES. 217 



peculiar mode of flight. They generally proceed in 

 a wedge-like form with a single bird as leader ; but, 

 if only a few in number, they fly in a straight line, 

 in close order, looking as if linked together by a 

 string; hence they are spoken of as a "skein" of 

 geese. When in the water or on land, they are called 

 by the fowler a " gaggle." Their habit is to remain 

 on the water by day, flying inland in search of food 

 a little before dusk. They may then be looked for 

 upon the fields of growing corn, where they do much 

 damage by nibbling off the tender shoots and young 

 blades. They are generally wary enough to keep in 

 the centre of the field, so that it is not easy to get 

 within shot of them. 



Occasionally a small skein of Geese drop down 

 upon our reservoirs in hard weather, but seldom stay 

 longer than a day, for their large size at once attracts 

 attention, and they either get shot or frightened 

 away. An intelligent labourer tells us that, in former 

 years, he has several times seen Wild Geese in 

 winter upon some of the small retired ponds on 

 Hungry Downs, and that on one occasion he counted 

 fourteen there. During the winter of 1800-61 two 

 Geese were shot by the keeper at Kingsbury Reser- 

 voir, out of a gaggle of thirty which alighted in a 

 field on the Brent, in the parish of Hendon. From 

 his accurate description of them, I have no doubt 

 that they were Anser ferus. In January, 1864, I 

 observed some small skeins of Grey Geese passing 



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