XIX SHOOTING GEESE I7'7 



tion in which their heads were turned, a large fox sitting upright 

 and looking wistfully at the geese, but seeming quite aware that 

 he had no chance of getting at them. The morning sun, how- 

 ever, which was just rising, and which, shining on his coat, made 

 it appear perfectly red, warned him that it was time to be off 

 to the woods, and he trotted quietly away, passing my ambus- 

 cade within forty yards, but always keeping his head turned 

 towards the geese, as if unwilling to give up all hope of getting 

 one of them. The distant bark of a dog, however, again warned 

 him, and he quickened his pace and was soon out of sight. 

 The geese seemed quite relieved at his departure, and recom- 

 menced feeding. I cocked my gun and arranged my ambus- 

 cade, so as to be ready for them when they came opposite to 

 me ; presently one or two stragglers passed within ten yards ; 

 I pulled the dead grass in front of my face, so that they could 

 not see me, and waited for the main flock, who soon came by, 

 feeding hurriedly as they passed ; when they were opposite to 

 me, I threw down part of the clods and grass that concealed 

 me, and fired both barrels at the thickest part of the flock : three 

 fell dead, and two others dropped before the flock had flown 

 many hundred yards. Simon ran from his hiding-place to 

 secure them ; one was dead, the other rose again, but was 

 stopped by a charge from his gun. Our five geese were no 

 light load to carry home, as they had been feeding on the corn 

 for a fortnight or three weeks, and had become very fat and 

 heavy. 



The common grey goose, after having fed for some time 

 in the fresh-sown corn-fields, is by no means a bad bird for the 

 larder. But before they can procure grain to feed on, their flesh 

 is neither so firm nor so well flavoured. In this country there 

 are three kinds of geese, all called by the common name of 

 "wild geese," namely, the white-fronted goose, already mentioned 

 (p. 172 note) ; the common grey-leg goose, Anas Anser;'^ and 

 the bean-goose.^ The latter kind differs from the grey goose 



^ In Moray rar3. Breeds in Sutherland, and will breed freely with tame goose. Lays 

 from five to seven eggs (C. St. J. ) "To my surprise I found this species of goose breeding 

 in considerable numbers in the islands and about the shores of some of the Sutherland 

 lakes. They place their nests, which are exactly similar, though of course on a larger 

 scale, to that of a wild duck, either in the rank heather, or in any other long herbage ; 

 some that I found were imbedded in the wild garlic which often clothes the small islands 

 of the lakes with its bright and beautiful green. They breed early in the year " [Natural 

 History and Sport in, Moray, p. 120). 



2 Moray. Not uncommon in March and April. — C. St. J. 



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