The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1886-02-24
GEESE.
Interesting iTn' i;s Ofan Intoyc9iint, rird -
Their Dtiiity as II nrrc,nc:cr.

! One of the unchallcngcd declarations
OF the gospel of our New England folk
| lore, rs applied to the changes of the
seasons, says the Hartford Times, is the
saying that when several ilocks Of wild
| geese are seen heading southwark in
the late fall it is sure SIGN OF speedily
coming cold weather, and it is apt to be
so. 1t was the belief of our forcfathcrs,
us it is of their descendants, that the
spring and autumn mgrationS of these
great birds mrringly heraldcd the real
| change OF the sCasOns-thc former pro-
claiming the approach of spring weather
ana the latter the coming down of the
northern winter. The Canada goose is
credited with the character of Il weather
| prophet, part which, it must be admit
! tcd, he suStainS more crCditablv than
some of the weather prophets among
| those other geese who, without wings or
IFS intelligent forcwurning instinct, con-
tinuc TO put forth their METEOROLOGICAL
| predictions for each coming year. For
the locks OF wild geese, in their last
ana heaviest southward migration, Go
undoubtedly forctcl the rapid coming of
w'ntry weather True. they begin that
! long southwark Journey. many of them,
IN scattered, earlier iiucks that arc seen
at intervals in some years all through the
month OF October but the LATER and lar
| & companies generally come sweeping
down from the far north through the
cOId ana lcaden skies Of late November
| " 'lson, tho omitholo~i;t. says of this
! BIRD: "lhcir first arrival on tho coast of
! New Jersey is carly in October; and
| 'hH!r i!rst numerous appearance is the
/ sure prognostc Of severe weather"
How far do they 90 in seeking nest
| ing-pIacc by The shores Of the northern
! Sras? And how long or how far, in
their return soutlrward, do they fly in a
single day? OYnthologists tel us that
the w,.d goose (Hl%cy CdNUdcnSiS). rs
the rule. breeds in the most northern
( portion Of the continunt.n passin.r the
season OF incubation beyond the bounG-
aries Of the United States, and generally
along tho cold shores Of northern Labra-
dor, of lludsons bay, OF southwestern
Greenland, and thc shores of both sides
OF Naiiin's bay, almost on lie cdmc Of
I the mcnding Ice and snow instances
OF lis brc ding on the New Enrlanu
( coasts Gi is said, ut MarthaS Nincyard)
/ have been reported; but such statements
/ seem 10 need confirmation. Wild geese
/ have wider range. Their habit is to
b.tc" IN the far north, though some of
thcm do not 90 further sou,h, on their
return, than the bays and sounds of the
! North Carolina coasts. How far they
/ iiy without resting may be less easy
/ question to answer The poet Bryant,
VINO was good observer, says:
AI 'ii da{ 81! ,!'E T. Win&. .i. hnrc innn,d
Yo .odp not Wcay. TO c Wei wccom" ,,SInnGFe nnG
Though thc dari, night is ncar--
WHICH would imply that th~y fly, day
| ana hight, I'LL they reach their resting
pace in tiio 'r|nMor h+Rc". they seek,
and Whcr" Oho poet, continues address
+ inlH the goose "r". dS shall bend, soon.
/ ",HE NY .I!yin"eh ncS:. This is proba-
/ D1A crt".'.hE NE wild goose with TOO
/ gE at powers oil night. lie must, and
! d"'i. rAus' "a, i.Ih IS ior rest food and
| fcT'aIoh' IN some olcn water, dis
/ rNh.d' rom ms '.ar height, b2n,ath
/ mn III INC lHMI over winch he directs
ms i'%hI; an" tnc pest testimony seems
10 Dc 'HHt 'hai Aigt1} never IS continued.
"h'vss IS happen 10 b' under The pres
uEe OK very rare circumstances, beyond
- r',f$ !" " hr' ana generally not