136 cassell's book of birds. 



climates, appearing in Great Britain towards the end of October or the beginning of November. At 

 this time they crowd the vicinity of the coast in thousands and tens of thousands ; far as the eye can 

 reach they may sometimes be seen wading around the banks of sand and amid the shallows left by 

 the receding tide; their cries are to be heard above the roar of the surf; and the masses, when 

 they take flight and rise into the air, resemble at a distance a thick and wide-spread smoke, their 

 numbers being absolutely incalculable. A few individuals may also be sometimes seen in the interior 

 of the country upon lakes and other large sheets of water ; these, however, can only be regarded as 

 stragglers : all Sea Geese well deserve the name, as under ordinary circumstances they never leave 

 the coast. As relates to their ordinary food, these birds differ from Common Geese in so far that, 

 besides grass and marine plants, they eat a considerable proportion of animal food. In northern 

 regions they feed upon whatever is there to be met with. AVith us they prefer meadow grass and 

 tender herbage. In captivity they readily feed upon grain, to which, however, should be added a 

 considerable proportion of green vegetables. 



THE BRENT GOOSE. 



The Brent Goose {Bernida torquata) is black upon the head, neck, quills, and tail ; the feathers 

 on the breast, back, and upper belly are dark grey, with light tips ; the sides of the belly, rump, and 

 upper tail-covers are white ; the sides of the throat are decorated with a white crescent-shaped patch. 

 The young are without the white feathers on the throat, and are darker than the adult birds. 



The Brent Geese are constant summer visitors to the British shores, arriving in October and 

 departing about the end of April. These birds are distinguishable beyond all others of the family by 

 the elegance of their movements and their peaceful demeanour ; they walk well both upon firm ground 

 and over a muddy surface ; they swim rapidly and buoyantly, and dive with facility ; their power of 

 flight surpasses that of any other Geese ; they do not, however, when flying adopt the wedge-like 

 arrangement so commonly seen among their congeners, but make their way through the air in large 

 noisy flocks, in which the birds are promiscuously crowded together. The noise made by one of 

 these vast assemblages, as they rise from the ground, resembles the roll of distant thunder, and even 

 when flying at a considerable elevation the movement of their wings produces a whizzing sound 

 which is distinctly audible. Their voice is very harsh ; the call-note somewhat resembles the 

 syllables " Kn-ang," often repeated ; when feeding they utter a rough hoarse " Kroch," while their 

 expression of anger is a low hiss. Like others of their race they always live associated in flocks, 

 and should an unfortunate straggler become accidentally separated from his companions, he may be 

 seen flying anxiously about in search of others of his species, never resting until once more safe in 

 their society. The behaviour of these birds in the presence of man proclaims them at once to be 

 unsophisticated children of the north, who have never experienced the tender mercies of their arch- 

 enemy. They seem at first to witness his approach without any suspicion of danger, and it is only 

 after suffering severely for their temerity that they become wild and distrustful. On their first arrival, 

 indeed, whole families of them may sometimes be killed with stones and clubs, and they are taken in 

 snares more easily than most other Geese. 



" In calm weather," says Colonel Hawker, " these Geese have in general the cunning to leave 

 the mud as soon as the tide flows high enough to bear an enemy, and then they go off to sea and feed 

 on the drifting weeds. To kill Brent Geese by day, go out in a small punt at low water, and keep as 

 near as possible to the edge of the sea. You will then hear them like a pack of hounds in full cry, 

 and they will repeatedly pass within fair shot, provided you are well concealed, and the weather is 

 windy to make them fly low. Beiore you fire at them, spring suddenly up, and these awkward birds 

 will be in such a fright as to hover together and present a mark like a barn door. The Brent Geese 



