WILD GEESE AND BRANT. I97 



There, remote from man, they breed undisturbed on the edges 

 and islands of the ponds and laltes. The geese moult soon after 

 their arrival in the spring ; and, owing to the loss of their pinion 

 feathers, are unable to fly during the summer or breeding seasons ; 

 but they can then run faster than a man on the marshes, and if 

 surprised at, or near a pond, they will plunge in and remain under 

 water with their bills only above the surface to permit of breathing 

 until the enemy has passed by. They feed on berries — preferring 

 that of the Empetrum nigrum, and the seeds of grasses. Both 

 the old and young become enabled to fly in September ; and as 

 soon after that as the frost affects the berries, and causes the seeds 

 of the grasses on the marshes and savannas to fall to the earth, or 

 otherwise when the snow falls and covers the ground, they collect 

 in flocks, and fly off to the Southern shores of the island, and 

 from thence to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. They remain there until 

 December, and then assembled, take flight in immense flocks to 

 the southern parts of America, to return in the spring. 



The Canada Goose also breeds in great numbers on the Mis- 

 souri River and its tributaries, and in this region otten places its 

 nest in trees, choosing generally a cottonwood stub not more than 

 thirty feet in height. The young are said_to be carried from the 

 nest to the water in the mother's bill, as are the young of the 

 Wood Duck. The writer has seen many broods of young goslings 

 apparently not more than two or three weeks old, when ascending 

 the Missouri on a steamboat in July. The eggs of this species are 

 from seven to eleven in number, and are of a yellowish white color. 



The Wild Goose may readily be domesticated, and in many 

 portions of our country they are bred in considerable numbers. 

 It seems to be established by several letters printed in Forest and 

 Stream, some little time ago, that, in confinement at least, the 

 young do not lay until they are three years old. They then pro- 

 duce four or five eggs, and the number is said to increase some- 

 what as the bird grows older. 



This Goose is extremely abundant on all high plateaus between 

 the Missouri River and the Pacific Ocean, and rears its young on 

 many of the streams which drain this country. It is exceedingly 

 abundant throughout the West from the first of October to the 

 middle of December. On the plains of Nebraska flocks number- 



