1SS4.J HowLEY on the Canada Goose. 3^^ 



The eggs also arc frequently taken away, and afterwards placed 

 under a tame Goose to be hatched. The young so captured are 

 easily domesticated, becoming exceedingly tame, and presenting 

 in this respect a great contrast to the saine bird in its wild state. 

 When reared they are sold to amatuer poultry fanciers in the 

 Capital and elsewhere, where good prices are realized for them. 

 At any season of the year, even now in mid- winter, numbers of 

 these domesticated Wild Geese may be seen in the poultry yards 

 about St. John's. They breed in their captivity both inter se and 

 with the common domestic Goose, producing a hybrid bird much 

 esteemed for the table. 



While all other birds are protected here by a strict game law, 

 which establishes a close time and heavy penalty for its infraction. 

 Geese alone are excepted, simply not to interfere with the small 

 source of emolument derived by the fisherman from the capture 

 of the young birds and eggs, as I have described. It is consid- 

 ered that the migratorv and wary character of the bird prevents 

 any appreciable injury resulting from this course. Still, the 

 morality of legalizing such an interference with any animals 

 valuable to man, during their procreative period, is, to say the 

 least of it, very questionable. 



During the breeding season they moult the primary wing- and 

 tail-feathers, and are consequently unable to fly in the months of 

 June, July, and the early part of August. They keep very close 

 during this moulting season, and are rarely seen by day ; yet I have 

 frequently come across them at such times in the far interior, and 

 on many occasions have caught them alive. When surprised on 

 some lone lake or river side, they betake themselves at once to 

 the land, and run veiy swiftly into the bush or tall grass to hide. 

 But they appear somewhat stupid, and if they can succeed in get- 

 ting their heads out of sight under a stone or stump, imagine 

 they are quite safe from observation. When overtaken in the 

 water, and hard pressed, thev will dive readily, remaining a con- 

 siderable time beneath, swimmmg or running on the bottom 

 very fast. About the 15th of August the old birds, and most of 

 the young ones, are capable of flight, and from thence to the first 

 of September they rapidly gain sti^ength of wing. Soon after this 

 they betake themselves to the seaside, congregating in large flocks 

 in the shallow estuaries or deep fiords, to feed during the night- 

 time, but are oft' again to the barrens at earliest dawn, where 



