CANADA GOOSE. Si05 



rious, generally in a straight line^ or in two lines united 

 in front like the letter > . In both cases, the van is led 

 by an old gander, who every now and then pipes his 

 well-known honk, as if to ask how they come on ; and 

 the honk of '^ all 's well," is generally returned by some 

 of the party. Their course is in a straight line, 

 with the exception of the undulations of their flight. 

 When bewildered in foggy weather, they appear to be 

 sometimes in great distress, flying about in an irregular 

 manner, and for a considerable time over the same 

 quarter, making a great clamour. On these occasions, 

 should they approach the earth, and alight to rest or 

 refresh themselves, they are sure to assemble the whole 

 neighbourhood in arms around them. 



It is by no means a difficult matter to domesticate 

 such birds as have been slightly wounded, and they 

 readily pair with the '' tame grey geese*:" the offspring- 

 are said to be larger than either ; but the characteristic 

 marks of the wild goose still predominate. The gunners 

 on the sea-shore have long been in the practice of 

 taming the wounded of both sexes ; and have sometimes 

 succeeded in getting them to pair and produce. The 

 fejnale always seeks out the most solitary place for her 

 nest, not far from the water. On the approach of 

 every spring, however, these birds exhibit symptoms of 

 great uneasiness, frequently looking up in the air, and at- 

 tempting to go offl Some, whose wings have been closely 

 cut, have traversed on foot in a northern direction, and 

 have been found at a distance of several miles from 

 home. They hail every flock that passes over head ; 

 and the salute is sure to be returned by the voyagers, who 

 are only prevented from alighting among them by the 

 presence and habitations of man. The sportsmen gene- 

 rally take one or two of the domesticated geese with 

 them to those parts of the marshes over which the wild 

 ones fly, and conceal themselves within gunshot ; which 

 is no sooner perceived by the decoy geese, than they 



* Wilson leaves us to conjecture of what si)ecies this " tame grey goose " 

 really is. 



