196 BIRDS AND MAN 



stately bird -shaped monument of clouded grey 

 or crystal white marble, to be seen standing 

 conspicuous on any village green or common in 

 England? For albeit a conquered bird, some- 

 thing of the ancient wild and independent spirit 

 survives to give him a prouder bearing than we 

 see in his feUow feathered servants. He is the 

 least timid of our domestic birds, yet even at 

 a distance he regards your approach in an 

 attitude distinctly reminiscent of the grey-lag 

 goose, the wariest of wild fowl, stretching up 

 his neck and standing motionless and watchful, 

 a sentinel on duty. Seeing him thus, if you 

 deliberately go near him he does not shnk or 

 scuttle away, as other domestic birds of meaner 

 spirits do, but boldly advances to meet and 

 challenge you. How keen his senses are, how 

 undimmed by ages of captivity the ancient 

 instinct of watchfulness is in him, every one 

 must know who has slept in lonely country 

 houses. At some late hour of the night the 

 sleeper was suddenly awakened by the loud 

 screaming of the geese ; they had discovered 

 the approach of some secret prowler, a fox 

 perhaps, or a thievish tramp or gipsy, before 



