Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-03-07
FLIGHT OF WILD GEESE.
SOME OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE ANSER CANADENSlS.
Passing the Season of Incubation Almost
on the Edge Of the Intending Ice and
snow-Rate Of Speed
In Flight.

character OF weather prophet among those
other geese who, without wings or his intel
ligent forewarning instinct, continue to put
forth their meteorological predictions for
each coming year For the flock of wild
geese, in their last and heavieet southwark
migration, do undoubtedly foretell the rapid
coming of wintry weather. True, they begin
that long southwark journey, many of them,
In scattering earlier focks that are seen, at
intervals, In some years, all through the
| month of October, but the later and larger
companies generally come sweeping down
| from the far north, through the cold and
leaden skies Of late November Wilson, the
ornithologist, says of the bird: Their first
arrival on the coast Of New Jersey is early
in October; and their first numerous appear
ance is the sure prognostic Of severe
weather
SEEKING A NESTING PLACE
| How far do they go, in seeking a nesting
| place by the shores of the northern seas!
| And how long or how far, in their return
southwark, do they fly in a single days
Ornithologists tells US that the wild goose
| tAnser Canadensis), as the rule, breeds in
the most northern part Of the continent
| passing the season Of incubation beyond ths
boundaries of the United States and gener-
| ally along the cold shores Of northern Lab
rador, Of Hudson's bay, of southwestern
| Greenland and the shores of both sides of
| Batiin's bay, almost on the edge Of the IN
| ending ice and snow. Instances of its breed
| ing on the New England coast ia is said at
Marthas VIneyard) have been reported: but
such statements seem to need confirmation
Wild geese have wider range. Their
habit Is TO breed in the far north; though
some of them do not go further SOUTH on
their return, than the bays and sounds of the
North Carolina coast. How far they fly
without resting may be a less easy question
to answer.
The wild goose must, and does, pause at
times for rest, food and recreation, in some
open water, discerned from his 4far height"
beneath him in the land over which he di-
reefs his flight; and the best testimony seems
to be that flight never is continued. unless it
happens to be under the pressure of very
rare circumstances, beyond twenty four
hours at time, and generally not much be-
yond twelve. 1t is true wild geese often do
fly in the night; but there is reason to be-
Eeye that, when they do, they rest in some
river or bay for few hours during the day.
They seem to know, even in the darkest
night, when they are over river. This was
shown once, in n wild November night of
storm and sleet, when u flock of these great
birds, finding their wings laden with the ice
that froze upon them, descended with great
clamor into the Park river in Hartford, Just
north of the Ford bridge, where, amid the
missiles of the attaches of the old Jail (which
stood near the bank, and Of other assailants,
they contrived, with great din of screaming
and founiering and diving, to clear their
8 - Al
night, and go sailing on toward brighter
skies.
RATE OF SPEED IN FLIGHT.
Their rate of speed varies somewhat, under
different circumstances, and seems not to be
very accurately known. But though their
flight is heavy and laborious, it is generally
swift. Watching flock Of forty or fifty Of
these large waterfowl as they went flying
over this city on Sunday morning on their
journey toward the "land of cotton,n
their motion as well their wild COB
lin cries, could be distinctly marked
The flock, which was not formed in the Gus
tomary triangle, but in a great irregular
curve, was still led by the old gander. and
his deeper note could occasionally be heard
amid the din of the wild, reedy voices of his
sobbling. He may have been cautioning
them to keep well together, and promising
good time ahead il they all kept bravely to
the work-and the ladies of the company, as
is apt to be the case, were all talking at once,
and eagerly giving all sorts of goosey assur-
ances. But the interesting thing to note was
the speed of the flock. They swept on
through the scowling sky at tremendous
rate; much faster, apparently, than that of
the fastest railroad train.
And these ioquacious geese swept on like |
the wind-their long necks stretched out |
straight ahead, and their gurgling, reedy |
cries sounding almost continuous Those
cries, perhaps only three days before, had
blended with the fierce trumpet blast of the
shrill Northwestern as it swept far and wide
over the now frozen wastes along the shores \
of Hudson's Straits-or even, it may be, of |
the lower part of Baffin's Bay. For there
seems to be no reason to doubt that these |
large, strong birds, in their long migratory
journey, fleeing from the wintry wrath to
come, do really accomplish 500 or 900 milesa
day.-Hartford Times.