190 THE CANADA GOOSE. 



is nearly allied. If wounded in the wing, they sometimes dive to a small 

 depth, and make off with astonishing address, always in the direction of the 

 shore, the moment they reach which, you see them sneaking through the 

 grass or bushes, their necks extended an inch or so above the ground, and 

 in this manner proceeding so silently, that, unless closely watched, they are 

 pretty sure to escape. If shot at and wounded while on the ice, they imme- 

 diately walk off in a dignified manner, as if anxious to make you believe 

 that they have not been injured, emitting a loud note all the while; but the 

 instant they reach the shore they become silent, and make off in the manner 

 described. I was much surprised one day, while on the coast of Labrador, 

 to see how cunningly one of these birds, which, in consequence of the 

 moult, was quite unable to fly, managed for awhile to elude our pursuit. It 

 was first perceived at some distance from the shore, when the boat was 

 swiftly rowed towards it, and it swam before us with great speed, making 

 directly towards the land; but when we came within a few yards of it, it 

 dived, and nothing could be seen of it for a long time. Every one of the 

 party stood on tiptoe to mark the spot at which it should rise, but all in 

 vain, when the man at the rudder accidently looked down over the stern 

 and there saw the Goose, its body immersed, the point of its bill alone above 

 water, and its feet busily engaged in propelling it so as to keep pace with 

 the movements of the boat. The sailor attempted to catch it while within 

 a foot or two of him, but with the swiftness of thought it shifted from side 

 to side, fore and aft, until delighted at having witnessed so much sagacity in 

 a Goose, I begged the party to suffer the poor bird to escape. 



The crossing of the Canada Goose with the common domestic species has 

 proved as advantageous as that of the wild with the tame Turkey, the cross 

 breed being much larger than the original one, more easily raised, and more 

 speedily fattened. This process is at present carried on to a considerable 

 extent in our Western and Eastern States, where the hybrids are regularly 

 offered for sale during autumn and winter, and where they bring a higher 

 price than either of the species from which they are derived. 



The Canada Goose makes its first appearance in the western country, as 

 well as along our Atlantic coast, from the middle of September to that of 

 October, arriving in flocks composed of a few families. The young birds 

 procured at this early season soon get into good order, become tender and 

 juicy, and therefore afford excellent eating. If a sportsman is expert and 

 manages to shoot the old birds first, he is pretty sure to capture the less wily 

 young ones afterwards, as they will be very apt to return to the same feed- 

 ing places to which their parents had led them at their first arrival. To 

 await their coming to a pond where they are known to feed is generally 

 effectual, but to me this mode of proceeding never afforded much pleasure, 



