( H5 ) 



It is fo likewife with fowls, a proof of which 

 I alfo had. When I lived at Afgafby, in the 

 vicinity of the Eaft and Weft Fens, the general 

 opinion of my neighbours was, that a fen-goofe, 

 from drinking the ftagnant water in the pools, 

 and living on grafs, would always be found 

 rank, or at leaft very flrong, food. I went with 

 the tide of opinion, and for a long while fan- 

 cied I had a particular averfion to fen-geefe : but, 

 the making of experiments might be termed 

 my hobby-horfe : and, on feeing by accident 

 thirty fen-geefe, compofed of nothing but fkin 

 and bone (for they were deftitute of flefh and 

 feathers), the fituation of the half-flarved| pig 

 rufhed fo forcibly upon my memory, that I 

 was induced to buy the whole flock* I put 

 them in fold amongft fome cattle, where there 

 was no water to fwim in. What water they 

 got came from a pump — a very pure fpring. 

 Their food was barley (for the cattle were fed 

 on nothing but barley-flraw) ; nor could they 

 get at any thing elfe. After the geefe had re- 

 mained about a month at this food, I had one 

 killed and drelTed — a better never was eaten, 

 and not one of the thirty but was equal to the 

 firft. There is another prejudice, which fup- 

 Vol I t T pofes 



