GEESE AND GANDERS. 183 



went as usual to see if all was right, when, to 

 her great surprise, she found the Goose quiet on 

 her nest, hut every one of the Duck eggs picked 

 out, and lying on the ground. Her mistress di- 

 rected her to replace them, which was accordingly 

 done: but the next morning, on going again to 

 examine the nest, she found all the Duck eggs as 

 before, moved off, and lying round about the nest; 

 the Goose eggs remaining under the sitting bird in 

 perfect order. How long she would have persevered 

 in removing them 'is not known, as, for fear of 

 driving the Goose from her nest, the experiment was 

 not repeated. 



When once attached to each other, they ap- 

 pear to be very constant ; in proof of which, a 

 person having marked five separate Ganders, and 

 five separate Geese, with which they had paired, 

 found that, for three successive years, when he 

 attended to them, each regularly selected his com- 

 panion of the former year, and continued faithful 

 to her. AVhy the Goose has been so generally 

 pointed out proverbially, as the most foolish of birds, 

 it is difficult to say; for the above, as well as the 

 following instances, would lead us to believe, that 

 they are endowed with a larger, rather than a less, 

 portion of sense, than other birds. 



An old Goose, which had been for a fortnight 

 hatching in a farmer's kitchen, was perceived on a 

 sudden to be taken violently ill. She soon after left 

 the nest, and repaired to an out-house, where there 

 was a young Goose of the first year, which she 

 brought with her into the kitchen. The young one 

 immediately scrambled into the old one's nest, sat, 



