THE WILD GOOSE. The goose belongs to the same family as the duck, but is
classed with the genus _anser_. The _gray-leg_ goose--a common wild
goose of England--is by some regarded as the original of the domestic
bird. It is thirty-five inches long; upper parts ash-brown and ash-gray;
under parts white. This variety is migratory, proceeding to the Northern
parts of Europe and Asia in summer, and to the South in winter.
The _Canada_, or Cravat goose, the wild goose of this country, is a fine
species, forty inches long, often seen in spring and autumn in large,
triangular flocks, high in air, and led by an old, experienced gander,
who frequently utters a loud _honk_, equivalent, doubtless, to "All's
well!" This sound often comes upon the ear at night, when the flock are
invisible; and it is frequently heard even in the daytime, seeming to
come from the sky, the birds being beyond the reach of vision. Immense
numbers of these noble birds are killed in Canada, as well as along our
coasts, where they assemble in the autumn in large flocks, and remain
till driven to more Southern climates by the season.
[Illustration: WILD OR CANADA GOOSE.]
The Canada goose is capable of domestication, and, in spite of its
original migratory habits--which it appears, in almost every instance,
to forget in England--shows much more disposition for a truly domestic
life than the swan; and it may be maintained in perfect health with very
limited opportunities for bathing. They eat worms and soft insects, as
well as grass and aquatic plants; with us, they do not breed until they
are at least two years old, and so far approach the swan; like which
bird, also, the male appears to be fit for reproduction at an earlier
period than the female. Many writers speak highly of the half-bred
Canada. They are, certainly, very large, and may merit approbation on
the table; but with whatever other species the cross is made, they are
hideously disgusting.