284 
POPULAR HISTORY OF BIRDS. 
This and the Canada Goose are two of the species whose 
arrival in the fur countries marks the return of spring ; they 
are then very lean, and in their course northwards have 
definite resting-places, so that in a short time they become 
very fat ; their movements southwards indicate the approach 
of winter. Longfellow, in his ^Evangeline/ alludes to 
them : 
" Birds of passage saiFd through the leaden air from the ice-bound, 
Desolate northern hays, to the shores of the tropical islands." 
Wilson"^ has well described the flight of the Canada 
geese as being heavy and laborious, generally in a straight 
line, or in two lines approximating to a point, thus ^ ; in 
both cases the van is led by an old gander, w^ho every now 
and then pipes his well-known honh, as if to ask how they 
come on, and the honh of all's well is generally returned 
by some of the party. Their course is in a straight line^ 
with the exception of the undulations of their flight ; w^hen 
bewildered in foggy weather, they appear sometimes to be 
in great distress, flying about in an irregular manner, and 
for a considerable time over the same quarter, making a 
great clamour .^^ This species is easily domesticated; and, 
from its fine black neck and white cheeks, forms a conspi- 
* American Ornithology, vol. iii. p. 178. 
