34 
ANATIDiE, 
from a distance of about twenty yards. This bird had more 
white round the base of the bill than I had before seen in the 
bean goose. Its stomach was wholly filled with stems and 
leaves of the shamrock trefoil. 
Wild geese, probably of this species, sometimes appear on 
wing near Belfast early in the autumn. On the 20th August, 
1836, I observed six, perhaps one family, fly over Wolf-hill, 
apparently on migration. 
On the 22nd of August, 1849, a fine day, (the weather mild 
for some time past,) I saw a flock of thirty wild geese fly low and 
in silence over the road near Holywood House entrance. They 
were proceeding in a south-east course. Though I observed them 
on wing for nearly a mile, I did not hear a call. 
Early in the last week of September, 1838, a small flock was 
seen over Ballymacarret, flying low, and proceeding in a southerly 
direction. On September 15, 1840, the first wild geese of the 
season — a flock of thirty — were noticed ; and on the 30th of that 
month about a hundred appeared. On the 12th September, 1841, 
five were remarked flying south-westerly, and in the middle of 
November two or three flocks were similarly observed. On the 
8th of September, 1843, I saw, near Templepatrick, a flock of 
twenty-five wild geese, flying in a south-east course. The day 
was very fine and warm, such as the weather had been for 
the preceding ten days. In 1845, a flock of sixteen birds was 
observed, on the 12th of September, flying over Belfast Bay; and 
during the following six weeks great numbers appeared ; many 
flocks occasionally on one day. Some of them alighted, though 
very seldom, to rest on Ballymacarret bank at low water, but they 
never remained so long as an hour. Throughout every month 
until January inclusive, and when there is no severe weather here, 
wild geese are occasionally seen passing in a southerly direction : 
in the last week but one of December, 1837, several flocks, each 
of about twenty birds, appeared over the bay, the weather during 
the week being extremely wet. The wedge-shaped form in which 
wild geese fly has often been commented on ; but I have gene- 
rally seen them fly in “ strings,” or single lines. Many species 
