184 GEESE. 



hatched, and afterwards brought up the hrood. The 

 old Goose, as soon as the young one had taken her 

 place, sat down by the side of the nest, and shortly 

 after died. As the young Goose had never been in 

 the habit of entering the kitchen before, the fact can 

 only be accounted for by supposing, that the old one 

 had some way of communicating her thoughts and 

 anxieties, which the young one was perfectly able to 

 understand. We give this anecdote on the authority 

 of a Mr. Brew, who states it to have occurred at 

 Ennis, in July, 1828. 



So strong are the affections of these loving birds, 

 that some who have exposed themselves to their 

 vengeance, have occasionally found themselves fear- 

 fully worsted. A Game Cock, near Ashford, in 

 Kent, priding himself, no doubt, on his prowess, 

 happened, a short time ago, to take offence at a 

 Goose, during the time of incubation, and, attacking 

 her with great fury, pecked out one of her eyes, and 

 destroyed several of her eggs. An old Gander, 

 seeing the danger to which his mate was exposed, 

 flew to her assistance, and many desperate battles 

 took place. One day, in his absence, the Cock re- 

 newed his attack upon the Goose, when the Gander, 

 hearing the bustle, hurried up, and seizing the Cock, 

 dragged him into the pond, where he ducked him 

 repeatedly, and finally drowned him. 



Another somewhat similar instance occurred at 

 Astbury, near Congleton, in Cheshire. Several Geese 

 were feeding near a barn, where some men were 

 threshing, and a Sparrow near them, when a Hawk 

 suddenly pounced upon the latter, and would have 

 inevitably carried it off, had not the Gander flown 



