BRITISH BIRDS. Ill 



channel, on both sides of which the ice remained intact some weeks. I have 

 passed hours together watching with a telescope a number of Geese sitting 

 at the edge of the ice, sometimes sleeping with their heads under their wings, 

 save two, which always remained on the watch. Their universal practice 

 was to form a line, at each extremity of which, at about one dozen yards 

 from the rest, stood one of the watchers with his head erect. The flock 

 would thus sit, sometimes basking in the sun, or sleeping, for hours together, 

 during which, while there was no cause for alarm, there would hardly be a 

 motion perceptible among them, save at intervals of half an hour, but some- 

 times more frequently, when the watchers were now relieved, almost as 

 methodically as the sentinels of the outposts of an army. When this 

 took place, a single Goose at each extremity of the line (whether 

 called to his duty by the watcher before him or not, it was impossible to 

 ascertain) roused himself and marched to take his turn, and was met always 

 halfway by the sentry he was about to replace. It was not possible to 

 find out whether there were any particular watchers, or whether all the birds 

 took their turn. When a log or a branch of a tree floated down, the birds 

 nearest the sentry first rose up, and were the first which slept again. If 

 the whole line rose, the first to get up was near the centre. The habits of 

 the Asiatic bird appeared exactly the same as those of the American. There 

 were from 300 to 500 in a flock in Siberia, whilst in North America they 

 were only about one fifth or one sixth of that number." 



Before proceeding to speak of the tame Goose, however, it may be well 

 to account for his destitution of volant power — though in the Isle of Skye a 

 flock of domestic birds of this kind, which came under our observation, were a 

 living refutation of the following legend. The Hon. Robert Curzon, in his 

 'Armenia,' 1854, p. 149, says : — " In former days [query, those of our ape- 

 like ancestors ?'] the Geese agreed to take a long journey together. One said 

 to the other, ' Mind you are ready, my friend ; for inshallah I shall set out 

 to-morrow morning.' ' And so will I,' replied he, ' whether it please God or 

 not.' The sun rose next day ; and the pious Goose, having breakfasted and 



