BRITISH BIRDS. 
299 
been confidered as articles of more importance, and 
from which their owners reap more advantages. In 
this refpe6t the poor creatures have not been fpared : 
urged by avarice, their inhuman mailers appear to 
have afcertained the exad quantity of plumage of 
which they can bear to be robbed, without being 
deprived of life. Mr Pennant, in defcribing the 
methods ufed in Lincolnihire, in breeding, rearing, 
and plucking Geefe, fays they are plucked five 
times in the year ; firfl at Lady-day for the feathers 
and quills : this bufmefs is renewed for the feathers 
only, four times more between that and Michael- 
mas he adds, that he faw the operation perform- 
ed even upon Goilings of fix weeks old, from which 
the feathers of the tails were plucked ; and that 
numbers of the Geefe die when the feafon after- 
wards proves cold. But this unfeeling greedy bu- 
fmefs is not peculiar to one county, for much the 
fame is pradifed in others. The care and attention 
bellowed upon the brood Geefe, while they are en- 
gaged in the bufmefs of incubation, in the month of 
April, is nearly the fame every where : wicker pens 
are provided for them, placed in rows, and tier above 
tier, not uncommonly under the fame roof as their 
owner. Some place water and corn near the nefls ; 
others drive them to the water twice a-day, and re- 
place each female upon her own nefl as foon as fhe 
returns. This bufmefs requires the attendance of the 
Gozzard (Goofe-herd) a month at leafl, in which 
P p 2 ' 
