654 
president’s address. 
Nettle seed and toast steeped in beer were formerly given 
to induce early laying. The record Goose’s egg, so far as my 
own notes go, is 8 inches long, 15 inches in longitudinal 
circumference, weighing 15! ozs. The dropping of these 
large, double yolked eggs is hereditary, but it may sometimes 
result from over-feeding, or be due to atmospheric influence. 
Brood Geese are given corn, maize generally now, but 
wheat or barley formerly, from about Christmas time. But r 
except during severe weather, whilst laying, sitting, or 
fattening, no corn is given to Geese. Like many other hard 
livers, they are also long lived (but they are only reckoned to be 
useful for twelve years). For distinguishing purposes, Geese are 
marked by having the membrane between their toes slit, or 
holes punctured therein ; but as with the clipping of fishes’ 
tails and fins, these punctured wounds, at least, grow up in 
time. Nature is a wonderful healer. I have marvellous 
specimens of natural joints of compound fractures in the 
leg and wing bones of Game and Wildfowl. A few years ago 
I shot a Hare in good condition which had had a copper 
wire snare so long and tightly wound round its hind legs, 
that the bones just above the heel had too firmly united for 
me to pull them apart, after I had removed the wire. In 
spite of which hindrance to its movements,' I did not notice 
that there was anything radically wrong with this hare as 
she approached me in fairly thick covert, only discovering 
the ligature around her legs when picking her up. The 
supposed self-made bandages that one sometimes reads of as 
found round wounded birds’ legs or wings are merely caused 
by the coagulated blood sticking to the body feathers whilst 
the bird is resting, and then, when the bird is suddenly 
alarmed, the effort to escape pulls the feathers from the body 
and they adhere to the wounded part. 
The old saying, “ To bed with the boys and the Goose 
to the fire, whoever gets into bed first shall have the 
leg,” seems to suggest that only very old Geese — needing 
