120 HATCHING FOOD AND MANAGEMENT. 



wives. With respect to feeding the goose or duck 

 upon the nest, it may be occasionally required, but 

 is not a thing of much account, since they will gene- 

 rally repair to the water sufficiently often, from their 

 natural inclination. The goose will not quit until 

 she has completed her hatch, nor will it be very 

 practicable to take any of the goslings from her, 

 were it necessary, as she is too strong and resolute, 

 and might kill some in the struggle. 



It has been formerly recommended to keep the 

 newly-hatched GULLS in house, during a week, lest 

 they get cramp from the damp earth, to which they 

 are indeed liable ; but we did not find this in-door 

 confinement necessary, penning the goose and her 

 brood between four hurdles, upon a piece of dry 

 grass well sheltered, putting them out late in the 

 morning, or not at all in severe weather, and ever 

 taking them in early in the evening. Sometimes 

 we have pitched double the number of hurdles, for 

 the convenience of two broods, there being no quar- 

 rels among this sociable and harmless part of the 

 feathered race, so unlike those quarrelsome and mur- 

 derous fiends, the common or gallinaceous fowls. 

 We did not even find it necessary to interpose a 

 parting hurdle, which on occasion may be always 

 conveniently done. The FIRST FOOD similar to th.at 

 of the duck, but with some cooling greens, clivers, 

 or the like, intermixed namely, barley-meal, bruised 

 oats, or fine pollard. 



For the FIRST RANGE, a convenient field contain- 

 ing water is to be preferred to an extensive common, 

 over which the gulls or goslings are dragged by the 



