selves for this purpose, without requiring or receiving .either
care or-food from naan, that the Canada GoOJC'Iseems to he
entitled to .a place in this work. .«/The Bird from which Mr.
Bewick drew his figure* of this species was shot at St. Germain’s
in Cornwall, where two or three other examples have
also been shot; and Mr. E. H. Rodd, of Penzance, sent me
word some time ago, that the Canada Goose had beeU/iShpton
idie Stilly Islands. I • have known several shot at different
times in Hampshire. The Rev. Leonard Jenyiis observes
that large flocks have been observed in- the fens of Cambridge;-
shire, in a'Statti.of liberty and independence^ ||^dfHome:®f.
them have been kilted hu more than ^qnfe-ftins.tance^ A writer
in the Magazine of-Natural History',^vok/viii. p.
this neighbourhood.'(near Derby) we/arti-frequently v isite t||y
smalt flocks of the Canada Goose,jAnser Canadensis
lughby, which is a bird, I believe/ of^^ytie^l^distribution.
They always.announce their approach |by efioud ‘noise,|apd,
after wheeling two or three times ^puhd.^iSex^^e'fp.fiwater
near the house,: they alight; and commence grazing. -They
are very ornamental objects-stalking about th.ei.awn, tossiiig
their heads and making curious -contortions 5 with their long
necks.' ' I t frequently happens that two remain wheri'^all the'
rest are flown. After reconnoitring theqdace for a;few d>y$,
they usually fix on the comer of an island as their nesting
place. T his favourite nook of theirs is* not far from where a
pair of Moorhens, year after year, produce their young ; yet^
neither Goose nor • Moorhen ever interfere with each other,
but keep on very good terms; nevertheless, the former does
notf permit! her sooty companion to make tooVclose an approach.
After the female goose; has -fully made up her mind
as, to- the: locality of her nursery, she begins plucking feathers,-
straws,- and. other soft; materials, u ntil. she has at last 'constructed
a. perfect featherbed. «. Having laid her eggs, gene-»
r a lly -'six, she sitswith most exemplary patience, and, notwith-;
-standing the proximity.of the water, which offers a great
temptatioifyit is/rare tet find her off her nest. : During the
»period- of incubation the male-il% through the greater part of
the^day,- sailing in measured time and slow over the water*,
never-approaching*:’his mate very, near, nor straying very far.
On the approach^ an^intruder hé displays great uneasiness,
and bis tranquillity5 does not return till the danger is over.
Shortly aftér the goslings»» have extricated themselves from
their b^ittle/covering,, they are cCnductedttof the water by the
fémalè, when they'are» joined- by the’ male/who brings up the
rear.5 TheSÛittle;family remain?^together till the return of the
.flock*, '.when/aH.; mix promiscuously, 'recruit- themselves for a
few -days, and. then depart.' A pinioned*:female, was f oined by
a-jnalel : When! th-ey/vére approached, the, male did not fly
-aw^f’u n t i l w a s pursued-so5 closely as to be in danger of
ïbtièg caught ; hé/remaihëcbwith his mate as long as was consistent
.with 'hisjiMberty ; when that was in' danger, and nôl fill
thén^ke deserted 1 t f e , female.' - Several» of the wild goslings
were obtained' in' the season of ;18§i5/two of them passed into
the hands of a neighbdürmg;farmer, in whosé possession they
have.remained--.ever since.-.- They associate -\tith his ‘domésti-
'■cated Greÿ-leg G^ése/and are very - péacéable.’? Montagu
had;-observed-» that the Canada : Goose .will breed' with the
common species.-5* Bewick j* says./»4 great numbers | of- these
: Canadian ; Geese/were| driven from : their haunts during the
-severe.-snow storms, of January and February, 1814 ; they
were taken upon the.,sea-shore* near Hartlepool, and divided
among Ahe* farmers in * the: neighbourhood, no pains having
been taken-to./keep. the . breed; pure.” /•■■*
Sir W. Jardiné observes, in à note in his edition of Wilson’s
American Ornithology, “ On the beautiful piece Of water
at Gosford House, the seat of the Earl of Wemyss, Haddingtonshire,
the ^.Canadian Goose "and many other water birds
rear their young freely. I have never seen, any artificial piece