146 Geese of Europe and Asia 



lake. During these days, after January 22, there was an unusual number, even to the eyes 

 of the natives, of these birds everywhere — in the steppe, on the washes of the Gudri-Olum, 

 and on the lake. They were clearly birds of passage joining those wintering on the lake 

 that caused the increase in the number of geese. 



" The days were very warm, and the nights moderately cold. From a Cossack officer 

 we learned that these geese pass the night on the lake, and in the daytime fly off to the 

 steppe, coming back only to drink. They keep only to the flat shore, allowing no one to 

 approach within even several hundred paces." 



The same author gives a very lively and interesting description of his first shooting 

 geese from pits dug on the shore, whence it appears that this species grazes in the steppe in 

 company with lesser white-fronted geese. 



The author says he purposely abstained from shooting for two days on the lake, in 

 order to allow the geese to become familiar with the appearance of his ambush ; but on 

 the third day he and his companion were already seated in their pits at break of day. 

 " Thick clouds of geese (of both species) got up from the shores of the lake, cackling 

 incessantly, and flew off to the steppe ; and the abandoned lake now contained only 

 sheldrakes and avocets. A belated gaggle of geese had alighted near my place of 

 concealment, but a white-tailed eagle at once dispersed them, giving me no chance of 

 shooting. 



" We sat in our pits to no purpose until eight o'clock, and then went to the river, to 

 drink tea, on our way putting up brahmini ducks feeding in the steppe grass. Having 

 finished our tea, — a nasty, muddy infusion from the river, but not brackish, — we again took 

 up our posts in the pits, after carefully screening them with grass. 



"At ten in the morning the call of the geese resounded from the Atrek; a series of 

 black streaks showed from beyond the river ; nearer and nearer they flew, and the whole 

 steppe round was filled with clouds of birds. To gain any idea of the vast masses that 

 collect to migrate, one must actually see this host of geese, and hear their cackle, which 

 drowns the human voice. Without any exaggeration, it may be said there were tens of 

 thousands of birds ; some of the flocks containing from at least 300 to 500 birds. Flock 

 after flock arrived on the lake ; the first parties were followed by others, and from beyond 

 the river appeared the ever-approaching squadrons. They flew for the most part in masses, 

 and only small flocks of 10 to 20 geese disposed themselves in transverse lines. 



" It may here be added that in winter the kazarkas generally flew to the water and 

 back in crowds, or more rarely in a transverse drawn-out line, but very seldom in single file 

 or in a ' key,' that is, in a longitudinal line or wedge, like swans, most geese, and cranes. 



" The flocks on arrival circled above the lake, and seeing nothing suspicious, settled, 

 although far from the shore ; they flew very high and dropped vertically on to the water. 

 The majority of the flocks consisted of A user erytkroftus, 1 but there were also many 

 A. ruftcollis, slightly distinguished by the deep black of the belly, the bright white streak 

 on the wings, and their squeaky, shriller-toned note compared with the white-fronted species, 

 as well as by their notably inferior size. The last flocks, seeing their fellows already sitting 

 on the water, descended much lower as they approached the lake/' Then follows the 

 account of the day's shooting, which, notwithstanding its interest, we omit, taking up 

 Zhitnikov's story at the place where it has a more direct application to the present subject. 



" Two days later we again went to the lake, but sat in vain the whole day in our 



1 That is, the lesser white-fronted (A. finmarchicus) of the present volume. 



