54 The rearing of Grey Lag Geese.


prefer wandering about and eating grass for choice, and eat but

little corn.


Lord William Percy hatched out two birds at the same date

from three eggs, and allowed his to have access to water early, so

it does not appear that going in water when young does any harm.

His two are a pair, and the female this year, for the first time, gets

distinctly cross if approached. They may breed this year, which is

their third spring (1914).


At one time, when shooting, I looked on a black-spotted breast

and under breast as a sign of age and respectability, but, as will be

seen from the photograph, a bird barely three years of age may

possess it. Last year the same bird had only three black spots

showing. There is little doubt that if my birds had a lake or good

pond they would certainly breed, but in the indifferent place I have

it is doubtful. If they do, it will be due to their great tameness I

think.


The length of life of the Grey Lag is very great—how great

no one quite knows ; but a farmer in Ross-shire is reputed to have

had one forty-two years, and the late Lord Lilford winged “ an old

gander ” on the Guadalquiver in 1882, and the bird was alive in 1900,

and may be yet.


Unfortunately, fewer breed in Scotland each year, due to dis¬

turbance by tourists and quasi-egg collectors. About three years

ago I knew of close on thirty-one nests in Ross-shire, Sutherland,

and Uist, but last year (1913) there were very few.


Crofters in Uist dislike them — with some reason from an

agricultural point of view, but to the detriment of the ornithological

one — and now that a great portion of South Uist is taken by the

Crofter Commission, there will be less.


In 1766 to 1800 they were said to be common in the Fens and

bred there, but probably, in a few years, Anser cinereus will be amongst

the ever-increasing number of birds who rarely breed in Great Britain.


P.S. [April, 1915).—My Grey Lag nested in May, 1914, but

all eggs were clear, as were Lord W. Percy’s.


It raises the question as to whether the Grey Lag does breed

in the third year or takes longer to come to maturity on the part of

the male.



