THE BRENT GOOSE. 
55 
by the first week of September they are generally here. They 
sometimes remain until May ; and in 1841, a few were seen 
so late as the 20th of that month. In Wexford harbour, also, 
they are said to arrive in September and leave in May.* They 
come later to the Northumbrian coast in the autumn, and depart 
northwards earlier in the spring. Mr. Selby, writing of it, re- 
marks : — “ In this locality tolerably-sized flocks usually make 
their appearance in the early part of October, which are increased 
by the repeated arrival of others till the beginning of November, 
at which time the equatorial movement of the species in this lati- 
tude seems to be completed* * * * In this haunt they 
remain till the end of February, when they migrate in successive 
flocks, * * * and before April the whole have disappeared 99 
(p. 272). A flock of these birds, supposed to be on migration, 
was heard on the 9th of September, 1845, at 12 o'clock in the 
night (which was very dark), flying over Holy wood bank, Belfast 
Bay. The weather being calm, they were heard from a great 
distance as they approached, and afterwards as they passed over- 
head ; — they kept a direct southerly course. 
Owing to their being so much disturbed of late years in this 
locality, chiefly by the increase of shipping, they have not (unless 
in severe weather) been in such abundance early in the winter as 
formerly; but in Strangford Lough they are as numerous as ever 
at that period. About the month of March, the greatest num- 
bers now appear in Belfast Bay ; and wild-fowl shooters believe 
that they leave the comparative quiet of Strangford Lough after 
having exhausted its Zostera pasture, as they have remarked the 
banks to be closely cropped of the plant at this time. 
Dr. Fleming mentions this bird as “ a winter visitant, frequent- 
ing meadows and grass-fields ;”t and Mr. Jenyns says it “ frequents 
the sea-coast and also inland marshes” (p. 224) ; but is not the 
bernacle, instead of the brent goose, the species thus alluded to ? 
Those of Belfast Bay at least are strictly marine ; and I have never 
heard of a single individual here, even when wounded, flying to 
* Major T. Walker. f Brit. Anim., p. 127. 
