﻿8 ANATID.E. 



Bean Goose. It has been recorded that a male of the Grey 

 Lag Wild Goose has paired with a tame goose in a farm-yard, 

 but of the other sex such a circumstance has not been 

 noticed. 



The call-note of the present species is so exactly the same 

 as that of the tame goose, that the most practised ear is 

 unable to distinguish the one from the other ; it is uttered 

 very frequently, but particularly while the bird is on the 

 wing, or on meeting with a straggler. 



In the spring of the year the young male birds fight 

 very valiantly for the possession of a mate, and two young- 

 males will frequently take hold of each other by the neck and 

 beat with their wings until one is exhausted and obliged to 

 yield ; during this time the females stand round about, keep- 

 ing up a continuous cackling, either to accompany the fight, 

 or to induce the combatants to desist. 



When the birds have paired, they reside in swamps, on 

 rivers, lakes, ponds, &c, and now and then near the sea-shore ; 

 preferring the most unfrequented swamps and fens where 

 large pieces of water are perfectly surrounded by rushes and 

 flags, particularly where forest-trees intersect the spots ; or 

 extensive swamps that border on meadows, pastures, and 

 young corn-fields ; to such spots they return year after 

 year to breed ; but in almost every country in Europe 

 the numbers of the Grey Lag Wild Goose are becoming 

 visibly lessened, and the spots formerly occupied by them 

 are now found frequently deserted. The present species 

 arrive early in March in the neighbourhood of their breed- 

 ing localities, and then the adult birds appear each with 

 its mate : they pair for life, and seem to be much attached 

 to each other. 



The nest of the Grey Lag Wild Goose is generally placed 

 under cover of some decayed rushes, or sheltered by willow or 



