255 
attend the flight of the birds, and, on their 
approach, mimic their cackle so well, that 
the geese will answer, and wheel and come 
nearer the stand. The sportsman keeps 
motionless, and on his knees, with his gun 
cocked, the whole time, and never fires 
till he has seen the eyes of the Geese. 
He fires as they are going from him, then 
picks up another gun that lies by him, 
and discharges that. The Geese which he 
has killed, he sets up on sticks as if alive, 
to decoy others ; he also makes artificial 
birds for the same purpose. In a good 
day (for they fly in very uncertain and un- 
equal numbers) a single Indian will kill 
two hundred. Notwithstanding every 
species of Goose has a different call, yet 
the Indians are admirable in their imitati- 
on of every one." 
" The vernal flight of the Geese lasts 
from the middle of April until the middle 
of May. Their first appearance coincides 
with the thawing of the swamps, when 
they are very lean. The autumnal or 
the season of their return with their 
young, is from the middle of August to 
