BRITISH BIRDS. 269 



This species generally keeps together in small 

 flocks, or families, except in the pairing season, 

 and at the setting in of winter. At the latter 

 period they assemble in multitudes, particularly 

 on the large rivers and lakes of the thinly in- 

 habited northern parts of Europe, Asia, and 

 America; but when the extremity of the weather 

 threatens to become insupportable, in order to 

 shun the gathering storm, they shape their course, 

 high in the air, in divided and diminished num- 

 bers, in search of milder climates. In such sea- 

 sons they are most commonly seen in various 

 parts of the British isles, and in other more 

 southern countries of Europe. The same is ob- 

 served of them in the North American states. 

 They do not, however, remain longer than till the 

 approach of spring, when they again retire north- 

 ward to breed. A few, indeed, drop short, and 

 perform that office by -the way, for they are 

 known to breed in some of the Hebrides, the 

 Orkney, Zetland, and other solitary isles ; but 

 these are hardly Avorth notice : the great bodies 

 are met with in the large rivers and lakes of 

 Kamtschatka, North America, Iceland, and Lap- 

 land. They are said to return to Iceland in flocks 

 of about a hundred in the spring, and also to 

 pour in upon that island from the north, in 

 nearly the same manner, on their way southward 

 in the autumn. The young which are bred there 

 remain throughout the first year; and in August, 

 when they are in moult, and unable to fly, the 

 natives, taking advantage of this, kill them with 

 clubs, shoot, and hunt them down with dogs, by 

 which they are easily caught. The flesh is highly 



