The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-04-12

the migfatiOnS OF the wild goose are
especially Interesting. When the time for
migration has come, the wild geese as.
semble, and spend some time in q loud
and animated discussion of the journey.
Then they all rise into the air, and arrange
themselves in two long lines, meeting like
the sides of the letter V. The leader takes
up his position at the point where the
lines meet, and the birds begin their flight,
point of the v going first, so that the
leader is in advance OF ali the rest of the
flock. He is always an old gander; only,
a. this position is very fatiguing, one
leader does not occupy it very long, but,
O. soon a. he becomes tired, falls back to
the rear, and allows another to take his
place. Geese, while upon their migra-
tons. fly very Notwithstanding, to some
estimates, at the rate of one hundred and
twenty miles an hour, or two miles q
minute. They generally rest by some
pond or river part of the night, but
sometimes they fly all night as well as all
day. In the daytime, when the weather
is clear, they fly at great height, often
so far up that they are invisible to us, and
their loud clamor is the only sign we have
that they are passing. At night, or in
foggy weather, they fly much nearer the
earth, and when the air is very f0ggy they
often become lost, and settle to wait for
the mists to clear away. At such times
they sometimes guide themselves by fol-
lowing the courses of rivers; and occa-
sionally . flock, going south along the
Niagara River ON dark. foggy night,
flies directly into the falls, installing for
. cloud the mist which rises in front of
them. OF course they are instantly
killed, and their dead bodies are some.
times found thrown ON the rocks at the
sides of the river. They often become be-
wildered by the bright light from blast.
furnace, and fly round and round it till
daylight, calling to each other all the
time, and keeping up such constant and
loud noise that they can be heard q mile
or more away. Many of them become
sufiocated by the gases from the furnace,
and fall to the ground SO dizzy and help
less that they may be caught without diff.
fculty. Young ones caught in this way,
or in any other way which does not injure
with the ordinary tame geese on the most
get their wild life. But when the wild
geese begin to fly north again in the
spring, these partially tanned ones hear
sA4VAA N0AA0a 0AAA ga SA4VAA WAAN AAAotSANSo
awaken. They become very uneasy and
restless, and, unless their wings are
clipped, soon bid farewell to their tame
companions, fly up into the air, and join
some passing flock. Nuttall gives the fol.
lowing story, which could hardly be be.
lievcd if something similar to it were not
narrated by others: IA Mr.. Plat, Of
Long Island, having wounded a female
wild goose, succeeded in tanning it, and
left it at large with his other common
geese. Its wound healed, and it soon be-
came familiar and reconciled to its do
mestic condition; but in the following
spring it Joined party Of Canada geese,
and disappeared until autumn, when at
length, oct of passing flock, Mr.. Plat
observed three geese to detach themselves
from their companions, and, after wheel.
ing round several times, alight in the
barn.yard, when, to his astonishment, he
recognized in one of the three his long.
lost fugitive, who had now returned, &C.
compsnied by her offspring, to share the
hospitality of her former acquaintance.''-
". X. Brooks, in st. Nicholas.