AQUATIC FOWLS. 



239 



geese migrated to the northward, a flock passed 

 over Mr. Platt's barn-yard, and just at that mo- 

 ment their leader happening to sound his bugle- 

 note, our goose, in whom its new habits and en- 

 joyments had not quite extinguished the love 

 of liberty, remembering the well-known sound, 

 spread its wings, moved in the air, joined the 

 travelers, and soon disappeared. 



" In the succeeding autumn the wild geese, 

 as usual, returned from the northward in great 

 numbers, to pass the winter in our bays and 

 rivers. Mr. Platt happened to be standing in 

 his yard when a flock passed directly over his 

 barn. At that instant he observed three geese 

 detach themselves from the rest, and, after 

 wheeling round several times, alight in the mid- 

 dle of the yard. Imagine his surprise and 

 pleasure when, by certain well -remembered 

 signs, he recognizes in one of the three his long- 

 lost fugitive. It was she, indeed! She had 

 traveled many hundred miles to the lakes, had 

 there hatched and reared her offspring, and had 

 now returned with her little family to share 

 with them the sweets of civilized life." 



" The following account of a Canada goose 

 is so very extraordinary," says Willoughby, 

 " that I am aware it would with difficulty gain 

 credit, were not a whole parish able to vouch 

 for the truth of it. The Canada geese are not 

 fond of a poultry -yard, but are rather of a ram- 

 bling disposition. One of these birds, however, 

 was observed to attach itself, in the strongest 

 and most affectionate manner, to the house-dog, 

 and would never quit the kennel except for the 

 purpose of feeding, when it would return again 

 immediately. It always sat by the dog, but 

 never presumed to go into the kennel except in 

 rainy weather. Whenever the dog barked the 

 goose would cackle, and run out to the person 

 she supposed the dog barked at, and try to bite 

 him by the heels. Sometimes she would at- 

 tempt to feed with the dog; but this the dog, 

 who treated his faithful companion rather with 

 indifference, would not permit. This bird would 

 not go to roost with the others at night unless 

 driven by main force, and when in the morning 

 she was turned into the field, she would never 

 stir from the yard-gate, but sit there the whole 

 day in sight of the dog. At last, orders were 



given that she should be no longer molested, 

 but suffered to accompany him as she liked. 

 Being thus left to herself, she ran about the 

 yard with him all night ; and, what is particu- 

 larly extraordinary, and can be attested by the 

 whole parish, whenever the dog went out of the 

 yard and ran into the village, the goose always 

 accompanied him, continuing to keep up with 

 him by the assistance of her wings, and in this 

 way of running and flying, follow him all over 

 the parish. This extraordinary affection of the 

 goose toward the dog, which continued to his 

 death, two years after it was first observed, is 

 supposed to have originated from his having ac- 

 cidentally saved her from a fox in the very mo- 

 ment of distress. While the dog was ill the 

 goose never quit him day or night, not even to 

 feed, and it was apprehended she would have 

 been starved to death had not orders been given 

 for a pan of corn to be set every day close to the 

 kennel. At this time the goose generally sat 

 in the kennel, and would not suffer any one to 

 approach except the person who brought the 

 dog's or her own food. The end of this faithful 

 bird was melancholy; for when the dog died 

 she would still keep possession of the kennel ; 

 and a new house-dog being introduced, which 

 in size and color resembled the one lately lost, 

 the poor goose was unhappily deceived, and 

 going into the kennel as usual, the new in- 

 habitant seized her by the throat and killed 

 her." 



The manner in which these birds are usually 

 kept, in Europe as well as in this country, is 

 neither consistent with their natural habits, 

 nor calculated to develop their usefulness and 

 merit. They are mostly retained as ornaments 

 to large parks and inclosures, where there is an 

 extensive range of grass and water ; so far all is 

 as it should be. But they are generally asso- 

 ciated with other species of geese and water- 

 fowls, all being of a sociable disposition, and 

 forming one heterogeneous flock. In the breed- 

 ing season they can neither agree among them- 

 selves to differ seriously, nor yet to live togeth- 

 er in peace ; the consequence is, that they inter- 

 rupt each other's love-making, keep up a con- 

 stant bickering, without coming to the decisive 

 quarrels and battles that would set all to rights; 



