WILD GOOSE; CANADA GOOSE 55 



east and west. It is remarkable that we commonly see 

 geese go over in the spring about 10 o'clock in the 

 morning, as if they were accustomed to stop for the 

 night at some place southward whence they reached us 

 at that time. Goodwin saw six geese in Walden about 

 the same time. 



Nov. 23, 1853. At 5 p. m. I saw, flying southwest 

 high overhead, a flock of geese, and heard the faint 

 honking of one or two. They were in the usual harrow 

 form, twelve in the shorter line and twenty-four in the 

 longer, the latter abutting on the former at the fourth 

 bird from the front. I judged hastily that the interval 

 between the geese was about double their alar extent, 

 and, as the last is, according to Wilson, five feet and 

 two inches, the former may safely be called eight feet. 

 I hear they were fired at with a rifle from Bunker Hill 

 the other day. This is the sixth flock I have seen or 

 heard of since the morning of the 17th, i. e. within a 

 week. 



Nov. 18, 1854. Saw sixty geese go over the Great 

 Fields, in one waving line, broken from time to time 

 by their crowding on each other and vainly endeavor- 

 ing to form into a harrow, honking all the while. 



March 20, 1855. Trying the other day to imitate 

 the honking of geese, I found myself flapping my sides 

 with my elbows, as with wings, and uttering something 

 like the syllables mow-ack with a nasal twang and twist 

 in my head ; and I produced their note so perfectly in 

 the opinion of the hearers that I thought I might pos- 

 sibly draw a flock down. 



April 19, 1855. 5 A. M. — I hear a faint honk and, 



