﻿54 



Cincinnati Society of Natural History. 



with this, he, with many a thump of his bill and a choice assort- 

 ment of "cuss words," drove our own rooster back into the 

 chicken-house, out of harm's way. 



He appeared to recognize the middle of the lot as a boundary 

 line, and would not allow any trespassing upon the side that he 

 considered his property. Ever on the watch, he would drive off 

 all strangers, and his hints to leave were not of the mild variety. 

 The treatment of our fowls was very different, herding them as a 

 dog does cattle, and keeping them within their own precincts 

 when possible, and at night driving them into the hen-house. He 

 appeared to know exactly how many there were, and was not con- 

 tent until he had hunted up and "corralled" the last one. The lot 

 being unfenced, some occasionally strayed into the road, when 

 Billy would become frantic, running to the house for assistance, if 

 he found himself unable to manage them alone. 



During the whole of his existence, gander Billy discovered 

 many hidden hens' nests, and never failed to lead us to them, and 

 what was most remarkable as evincing a human sagacity, he never 

 objected to a strange hen depositing an egg, provided the nest was 

 on our premises ; but he would tolerate no stolen nests outside of 

 the boundary. 



Billy died ; perhaps it is more true to say, he was caused to die, 

 as the very points that made him peculiar, rendered him also a 

 nuisance, for the air was thick with clamor all day long. The 

 final "straw," however, was the fact that he had taken unto him- 

 self a wife in the shape of our best hen, and Billy's speedy re- 

 moval became necessary, as a matter of hen-preservation. This 

 short history is far from being complete, but it is enough to show 

 that some human individuals would require an increase in brain 

 weight to admit of their being styled "Geese." 



