28 ANIMAL ARTISANS 



times to accompany their young, sometimes because 

 they are moulting. Mr. Seebohm witnessed the pass- 

 ing of a goose-column when exploring the tundra. 

 They came on in column, the old birds leading, 

 and after crossing the Arctic moorland, descended 

 to the river, and took the water in the same order. 

 Large, heavy birds like geese could not possibly 

 march for long distances unless their method and 

 order of march were carefully thought out. That 

 the average intelligence of these birds is very high is 

 generally acknowledged; but it is nowhere so well 

 shown as when they are travelling on foot. In the 

 first place, there is no hurry every one goes his own 

 pace, but that pace is deliberate. They walk in 

 column, but the ranks are often ten geese wide. No 

 goose touches or jostles his neighbour, and all the 

 heads are carried high, so as to get the maximum of 

 air. At regular intervals on the march the column 

 halt and feed, spreading out in lines for this purpose, 

 but falling in at a proper signal from the leaders. 

 The writer has often watched these proceedings when 

 a large flock of geese has been crossing Port Meadow, 

 the wide green flat above Oxford. But their marching 

 powers have been well known in "the trade" for 

 centuries, and are still made use of abroad. At 

 Antwerp a flock of three thousand geese has been 

 seen to walk along the quay, gently urged by some 

 Flemish gooseherds. They were halted opposite to 

 an English steamer bound for Harwich, and then 

 crossed three abreast on a plank with low canvas sides 

 on to the steamer. They then walked along the 



