THE BRENT GOOSE. 61 



fell at one shot. Fifteen were at the same time obtained at a 

 shotj in Lame Lough, by another fowler. In Strangford Lough, 

 the person first alluded to, procured twenty-three at one discharge 

 of his swivel-gun, in the winter of 1843; in January 1848, thirty 

 were thus laid low, twenty-five only of which were bagged, as the 

 great black-backed, and herring gulls secured their share of those 

 which fell wounded or dead at a distance. Above thirty lay upon 

 the water after a shot by him there, in December, that year, 

 though only twenty-tliree were picked up, as it was growing dark 

 at the time, and the wounded, hurrying to rough water, escaped. 

 Twenty-six wigeon were bagged by him from one shot, the 

 same week. Tliirty-two brent geese have been obtained at a shot 

 in Larne Lough. Shooters waiting at night on the borders of 

 tliis lough until the flowing tide brings wigeon within shot of 

 them, have occasionally killed brent geese, thus brought witliin 

 range. In the winter of 1842-43, Buckle (well-known to the 

 readers of Colonel Hawker^s work on Shooting) killed twenty-five 

 of these birds at a shot with his punt-gun in Dingle Bay, Kerry. 



Winged brent geese flock together, and it is difficult to sepa- 

 rate them. Those struck by the shot from a swivel-gun, no matter 

 how far apart, swim towards each other, and move off in a flock, 

 which is not easily broken up. Wlien they become so by a cliace 

 from a boat, or otherwise, as many as can succeed in keeping toge- 

 ther still do so. They hasten to the deep water when wounded, 

 and never attempt to dive until the last extremity, such as being 

 struck at with an oar. They are indifferent divers, and remain 

 but a short time under water. When disabled birds were much fired 

 at with the old flint locks they dived from the flash of the pan. 



The food contained in brent geese from the loughs of Larne, 

 Belfast, and Strangford, examined by myself, was always Zostera, 

 of which were portions of the leaf from one to two feet in length, 

 as well as of the root : in addition to the plant there was always 

 sand. An observant shooter and bird-preserver,"^ who has looked 

 to the food in a considerable number of these geese, never found 



* Mr. Darragli ; to whom I am indebted for various particulars respecting the 

 brent goose. 



