engaged iir battle ! Some desperado, it seems, has fallen upon a mated
bird, and several bystanders, .as if sensible of the impropriety of such conduct,
rush to the assistance of the wronged one. How they strive and
tug, biting, and striking with their wings ! and how their feathers fly
about! Exhausted, abashed, and mortified, the presumptuous intruder
retreats in disgrace ;:—there he lies almost breathless on the sand !
Such are the conflicts of these ardent lovers, and so full, of courage
and of affection towards their females are they, that the approach of a
male-invariably ruffles their tempers as well as their feathers. No sooner
has the goose laid her first-egg, than her bold mate stands almost erect
by her side, watching even the rustling sound of the breeze. The least
noise brings from him a sound of anger. Should he spy a racoon making
its way among the grass, he walks up to him undauntedly, hurls a vigorous
blow at him, and drives him instantly away. Nay I doubt if man
himself, if unarmed, would come off unscathed in such an encounter.
The brave gander docs more; for, if imminent danger excite him, he
urges his mate to fly off, and resolutely remains near the nest until he is
assured of her safety, when he also betakes himself to flight, mocking as
it were-by his notes his disappointed enemy.
Suppose all to be peace and quiet around the fond pair, and the female
to be sitting in security upon her eggs. The nest is placed near
the bank of a noble stream or lake; the clear sky is spread over the
scene, the bright beams glitter on the waters, and a thousand odorous
flowers give beauty to the swamp which of late was so dismal. The gander
passes to and fro over the liquid element, moving as if lord of the
waters; now he inclines his head with a graceful curve, now sips to
quench his thirst; and, as noontide has arrived, he paddles his way towards
the shore, to relieve for a while his affectionate and patient consort.
The lisping sounds of their offspring are heard through the shell ; their
little bills have formed a breach in the inclosing walls; full of life, and
bedecked with beauty, they come forth, with tottering steps and downy
covering. Toward the water they now follow their careful parent, they
reach the border of the stream, their mother already floats on the loved
element, one after another launches forth, and now the flock glides
gently along. What a beautiful sight! Close by the grassy margin,
the mother slowly leads her innocent younglings; to one she shews the
seed of the floating grass, to another points out the crawling slug. Her
careful eye watches the cruel turtle; the garfish, and the pike, that are
lurking for their prey, and, with head inclined, she glances upwards to
•the eagle or the gull that are hovering over the water in search of food.
A ferocious bird dashes at her young ones; she instantly plunges beneath
the surface, and, in the twinkling of an eye, her brood disappear after
her ; now they are among the thick rushes, with nothing above water but
their little bills. The mother is marching towards the land, having lisped
to her brood in accents so gentle that none but they and her mate can
-understand their import, and all are safely lodged under cover until the
disappointed eagle or gull bears away.
More than six weeks have now elapsed. The down of the goslings,
which was at first soft and tufty, has become coarse and hairlike. Their
wings are edged with quills, and their bodies bristled with feathers. They
have increased in size, and, living in the midst of abundance, they have
become fat, so that on shore they make their way with difficulty, and as
they are yet unable to fly, the greatest care is required to save them from
their numerous enemies. They grow apace, and now the burning days
of August are over. They are able to fly with ease from one shore to
another, and as each successive night the hoarfrosts cover the • country,
and the streams are closed over by the ice, the family joins that in their
neighbourhood, which is also joined by others. At length they spy the
advance of a snow-storm, when the ganders with one accord sound the
order for their departure.
After many wide circlings, the flock has risen high in the thin air, and
an hour or more is spent in teaching the young the order in which they
are to move. But now, the host has been marshalled, and off it starts,
shewing, as it proceeds, at one time ah extended front, at another a single
lengthened file, and now arraying itself in an angular form. The old
males advance in front, the females follow, the young come in succession
according to their strength, the weakest forming the rear. Should one
feel fatigued, his position is changed in the ranks, and he assumes a place
in the wake of another, who cleaves the air before him ; perhaps the parent
bird flies for a while by his side to encourage him. Two, three, or
more days elapse before they reach a secure resting place. The fat with
which they were loaded at their departure has rapidly wasted ; they are
fatigued, and experience the keen gnawings of hunger ; but now they spy
a wide estuary, towards which they direct their course. Alighting on the
water, they swim to the beach, stand, and gaze around them; the young
full of joy, the old full of fear, for well are they aware that many foes