DOMESTIC POUITBT. 



" About three weeta after their first appearance, the Canada 

 geese disperse in pairs throughout the country, between the 

 60th and 67th parallels, to breed, retiring at the same time 

 from the shore of Hudson's Bay. They are seldom or never 

 seen on the coasts of the Arctic sea. In July, after the young 

 birds are hatched, the parents moult, and vast numbers are 

 killed in the rivers and lakes, when (from the loss of their 

 quill . feathers) they are unable to fly. When chased by a 

 canoe, and obliged to dive frequently, they soon become fa- 

 tigued, and make for the shore for the purpose of hiding them- 

 selves, but as they are not fleet, they fall an easy prey to their 

 pursuers. In the autumn they again assemble in flocks, on 

 the shores of Hudson's Bay, for tiiree weeks or a month previous 

 to their departure southwards." 



Many of this species are now domesticated in this country, 

 although not to such an extent as it clearly deserves. It will 

 breed with the common grey goose, and by many it is consi- 

 dered that the hybrid progeny of this cross-breed is far superior 

 in the flavour and quality of the flesh than that of the pure 

 common breed. Buffon, the naturalist, says, that in his 

 time many hundreds of the Canada geese inhabited the great 

 canal at Versailles, where they bred familiarly with the 

 swans. The Canada goose is more of a monogamist in a 

 vrild state than he is under domestication ; but, as has been 

 truly observed, " this may result from the plan of keeping but 

 few males, and those in association with a flock of females, so 

 that the ordinary results of pairing, — that is, retiring from the 

 rest to a secluded spot, which the mated pair exclusively oc- 

 cupy, — are interfered with." Still, he does not altogether 

 neglect the respectable example of his progenitors, but usually 

 confines his attention much more to one particular female of 

 the flock than to all the rest. 



A popular writer on poultry has some very judicious remarks 

 on the impropriety of excluding this species of the genus Anser 

 from the poultry-yard, which opinion I can readily endorse 

 from my own experience. " It is a question worth attention," 

 says he, " whether the Canada goose might not with advantage 

 be more extensively kept in our country than it is at present. 

 It is common as an ornament to sheets of water in parks, 

 gardens, and pleasure-grounds, but is too much neglected as a 

 bird of vMUty ; it is alike valuable for flesh and feathers ; it is 

 not so decided a grazer as is the common goose ; the precincts 

 of marshes and ponds which abound in aquatic vegetation, for 



