The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-03-26

Much cunning Is exhibited by these birds
in localities where they ere frequently dis
turbei. We have often seen them in the
great swanps Of the Bureau Valley, along
The Illinois. come In about dark, when il
was lust too late to draw sight, nciselessly
stealing along 50 as to avoid a raudom shot
Of the hunter returning to camp after
hard day work. So attached are they to
their old grounds. and 50 liable to be pur-
sued at night by reckless adventarers, that
after a few warnings, they battle the most
intelligent. Should their line Of entry be
discovered tonight as they come across the
marsh from the south. tomorrow night IL
you watch, you may hear the vibration Of
their wings as they pass over the timber to
the north, in their approach to the old rice
pond, or open water Of the big slough.
Upon all other occasions, and also when
disturbed, they exhibit their usual propen-
bity to indulge in gabble and goose talk.
The most prominent among the varieties
I in the West is the Canada goose. Tine next,
and existing in great numbers. is the white
fronted or laughing goose, called by many
the brent" OF the regular goose we have
but few. We killed one out of a Cock in
the Illinois River, in 1860, on a sand bar
and believe it is the only flock we ever say
in that valley. The brent goose is aboU
half the size Of the Canada variety, and
about two-thirds aalarge as the white front
ed, mottled, or laughing goose. But in The
absence of the regular brent goose, the
mottled bird, known as the laughing goose,
carries the name Of brent. And brent it is
30 far as the average shooter is informed
for few Of them have ever seoA brent
goose, and this is the only bird, which, to
their knowledge, ever bore the name.
These same fellows call a partridge q
pheasant, and an English snipe wood
cock.
1t is amusing to watch flock OF laughing
!, geese as they approach a favorite feeding
ground or resting place. They come first
in the regular acute lineof fight. Sudden
} ly they break ranks, and with one accord
the whole fock begin series Of evolutions,
tumbling and turning high in air, and then
! descending in a most comieal and irregular
manner, to the amusement Of the observer,
all the while indulging in iabber more re-
: sembling the merry laughing of a bevy Of
school girls than anything else, from which
popularity they receive their name. As q
. table bird it is highly esteemed, and is gem
orally preferred to the Canada goose. In
point of number it exceeds the latter in
this locality, while in other parts the ratio
is reversed.
They visit the West in March and April
I on their regular migration to the lakes an
e bays Of Northern Minnesota, the Bntis
d possessions and Labrador. remaining wit
us sometimes as late as May in small d
tachments. Many are killed before the
reach their northern breeding grounds
After raising the usual brood, and rel len
ishing their thinned ranks, they gather fOl
the autumnal return fight, and in Octobel
; we see them vending their way to their old
and favorite haunts, until the cold weather
drives them southwark to the great marshes
Of Arkansas, and the lower Mississippi A.
they pass north in March, generally befor'
a southerly gale, which carries them along
with little apparent effort, their coming i
welcomed as a harbinger Of returning
spring. They come, too. in large numbers
accompanied by all the usual varieties Q
Y waterfowl in even greater profusion.