THE CHINA GOOSE. 227 



laughing, or white-fronted goose, they also breed 

 freely. 



The large number of eggs laid by these birds has led 

 some persons to imagine that, like Guinea fowls, they 

 were inexhaustible, so that, when at last the goose did 

 make her nest in earnest, (which may be known by her 

 mixing her own down with the straw,) no eggs had been 

 reserved for the poor thing to sit upon. The best plan 

 is to date the eggs with a pencil as they are laid, and 

 consume only those which are more than three weeks 

 old. They are usually very late with their broods, but 

 will rear them well enough if they are allowed to take 

 their own time, and do it after their own manner. Their 

 period of incubation is five weeks. They are steady 

 sitters when they, once begin in earnest, and exemplary 

 parents. The goose, on leaving her nest to feed, covers 

 her eggs carefully. Any difficulty in rearing them 

 results from want of proper management. If, for in- 

 stance, when the bird does at length sit, she is insuffi- 

 ciently supplied with eggs, or with those which have 

 been kept too long ; or if she be permitted to be dis- 

 turbed by dogs, &c. ; if she be suffered to steal a nest, 

 and sit on more than see can cover — things will go 

 wrong. The great number of eggs laid may perhaps 

 cause an uncertainty that each one is properly fecun- 

 dated. 



