190 
THE CANADA GOOSE. 
is nearly allied. If wounded in the wing, they sometimes dive to a small 
depth, and make off with astonishing address, always in the direction of the 
shore, the moment they reach which, you see them sneaking through the 
grass or bushes, their necks extended an inch or so above the ground, and 
in this manner proceeding so silently, that, unless closely watched, they are 
pretty sure to escape. If shot at and wounded while on the ice, they imme- 
diately walk off in a dignified manner, as if anxious to make you believe 
that they have not been injured, emitting a loud note all the while; but the 
instant they reach the shore they become silent, and make off in the manner 
described. I was much surprised one day, while on the coast of Labrador, 
to see how cunningly one of these birds, which, in consequence of the 
moult, was quite unable to fly, managed for awhile to elude our pursuit. It 
was first perceived at some distance from the shore, when the boat was 
swiftly rowed towards it, and it swam before us with great speed, making' 
directly towards the land ; but when we came within a few yards of it, it 
dived, and nothing could be seen of it for a long time. Every one of the 
party stood on tiptoe to mark the spot at which it should rise, but all in 
vain, when the man at the rudder accidentally looked down over the stern 
and there saw the Goose, its body immersed, the point of its bill alone above 
water, and its feet busily engaged in propelling it so as to keep pace with 
the movements of the boat. The sailor attempted to catch it while within 
a foot or two of him, but with the swiftness of thought it shifted from sid6 
to side, fore and aft, until delighted at having witnessed so much sagacity 
in a Goose, I begged the party to suffer the poor bird to escape. 
The crossing of the Canada Goose with the common domestic species has 
proved as advantageous as that of the wild with the tame Turkey, the cross 
breed being much larger than the original one, more easily raised, and more 
speedily fattened. This process is at present carried on to a considerable 
extent in our Western and Eastern States, where the hybrids are regularly 
offered for sale during autumn and winter, and where they bring a higher 
price than either of the species from which they are derived. 
The Canada Goose makes its first appearance in the western country, as 
well as along our Atlantic coast, from the middle of September to that of 
October, arriving in flocks composed of a few families. The young birds 
procured at this early season soon get into good order, become tender and 
juicy, and therefore afford excellent eating. If a sportsman is expert and 
manages to shoot the old birds first, he is pretty sure to capture the less wily 
young ones afterwards, as they will be very apt to return to the same feed- 
ing places to which their parents had led them at their first arrival. To 
await their coming to a pond where they are known to feed is generally 
effectual, but to me this mode of proceeding never afforded much pleasure, 
