344 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



many hundreds there, and have recognised them readily from a 

 passing train at Dubton Junction. On one occasion, the- birds, 

 although feeding within thirty yards of the railway embankment, 

 merely ran together with raised heads, and stood on the alert 

 until the train had gone past, after which they lowered their necks 

 and resumed feeding. . 



The Bean Goose is also common in Haddingt on shire, where it 

 frequents wheat fields, doing considerable damage sometimes to 

 the sprouting grain. Large and noisy companies resort at nightfall 

 to the open sands near the Tyne estuary, and retire at daybreak 

 to the Lammermuirs. In Fifeshire its habits are similar. When 

 travelling through that county in the winter time, I never fail to 

 observe small flocks coming from the higher grounds in the 

 afternoon, and steering for the month of the Eden, near St. 

 Andrews. Mr Harvie Brown, writing from Stirlingshire, says: 

 "It is our commonest goose on the east coast, punishing the 

 farmers' newly sown beans in early spring, through the day; and, 

 as one of the fraternity informed me, * paidling aboot i' the mud 

 at nicht, deil tak' them.' " The Carseland, west of Stirling, is also 

 visited by them in great numbers. It is somewhat strange that 

 this species, which is so very common on all parts of the east 

 coast of Scotland, should only be an uncertain winter visitant in 

 Orkney. 



In my earlier recollections of these " cloud cleaving" birds, I 

 well remember the long lines of geese steering in their > shaped 

 flight across the town of Dunbar in a westerly direction to the 

 Tyne mud flats. Almost daily as many as six or eight of these 

 flights could have been observed flying scarcely out of gunshot, 

 and making a loud and confused cackling noise. Sometimes in 

 misty weather the birds lost their way. I recollect being sur- 

 rounded one evening after dusk by some hundreds, judging from 

 their prodigious outcries. I was walking on the public road, and 

 was surprised to find the benighted geese fluttering against the 

 bare hedge, the prickles of which certainly did not diminish their 

 consternation. A similar incident is narrated in the new Statistical 

 Account of Scotland by the minister of Borthwick, who thus 

 describes the occurrence : 



"Flights of wild geese regularly pass over us to the moors, where 

 they have their favourite feeding grounds. These birds are pro- 

 verbial for leading men on a perplexed and fruitless search; but I 



