The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-02-18
GEESE.
interesting Habits OF an Interesting Bird -
Their Unity as II Bnro,nctcr

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,
rs it is of their descendants. that the
spring and autumn migrations Of these
great birds uncrringly hcraldcd the real
changc 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 a weather
prophet, part which, it must be admit
tea, he suStainS more crCditablv than
some OF the weather prophets among
thoSc other geese who, without WINGS or
It's intelligent forcwarning instinct, con-
unue to put forth their meteorological
predictions for each coming year. For
the flocks of wild geese, in their last
anu heaviest southwark migration, do
undoubtedly forCtcll the rapid coming of
Wintry weather.. True, they begin that
long Southward Journey, many of them,
III scattered, earlier ll0cks that are seen
at intervals in some years all through the
month OF Octobcr, but the later and lar
ger companies generally come sweeping
GOWN from the far north through the
cold and lCadcn skies of late November.
wilson, the ornithologi5t, says of this
Dlrd: "Jhcir first arrival on the coast of
New Jersey is early in October; and
'helr llrSt numerous appearance is the
sure prOGnOStic of severe weather.
How far do they go'in seeking nest
mS-piacc ny the shores of the northern
ScasP And how long or how far, in
"A, 4,
single day? OmitholoGiStS tell us that
the wild goose (1u&cr CunaIcuSiS(, ns
the rule, "brCCdS in the most northern
portion of the continent" pussinr the
season of incubation bcvOnd the bound
aries of the United States, and generally
along the cold shores Of northern Labra-
dor, of Iludson's bay, of southwestern
Greenland, and the shores of both sides
of Bai1in'S bay, almost on the cdmc of
tho uncnding ice and snow. Instances
of lis breeding on the New ENGLAND
coasts Git is said, ut Martha's Vincyard
have been reported; but such statements
seem to need confirmation. Wild reese
have q wider range. Their habit is to
breed III the far north, though some of
them do not go further south, on their
return, than the bays and sounds of the
North Carolina coasts. How far they
fly without resting may be Il less caSy
question to answer. The poet, Bryant,
VINO was good observer, says:
All day thy wings have fann'd
9c ~ tnI sodn InT n nfEnt, the colt thin atmosphere
ThHm@hh hSTh iS" %s d%r mrHT Hsht to inG IL welcome nd
which would imply that they fy. day
and night, till they reach their resting
place III the ''Summcr home" thcy seek
and where (th3 poet continues, address.
ing the gooScl ''rccds shall bend, soon,
DER thy sheltered ncSt.' This is proba-
bly, crediting the wild goose with too
great powers of flight. He must, and
does, pause at times for rest, food and
recreation, in some open water, dis
cerncd, from his far height" beneath
INN IN the land over which he directs
his flight; and the best testimony seems
TO be that that flight never is continued
unless IS happens to be under the pres
urc or very rare circumstances, brvoud
"a hours at Il h'hc, and generally not
much beyond -. 1t is true wild mccsn
often do fly il the night; but there is
reason to believe that when they do they
rest IN some river or bay for II few hours
during the day. They seem TO know,
even IN the darkest night. when they
are over river. This Was shown onr,
IN wild November night of Storm and
slcct, when flock of these great BIRDS
1lndlng their wings laden with the ice
that froZc upon them, descended with
great clamOr into the Park river i'm
Hartford, just north of the Ford street
bridge, where amidst the missiles of thr
ottachcS of the old jail (Which stood
near the banl) and OF other ussailants
they contrivcd, with great din O. scream
IiS and ilomdcring and diving 10 clear
thcW wings of ice, and ris" AGAIN into
thc night, and 90 sailing on toward
brighter skies.
Their rate of speed varies somewhat
uhdcf different circumstances, and
seems not to be very accurately known.
but, though their flight is heavy and
iaborl0us, it is generally swift. Watch
ing 1lock of forty or fifty of these lar~c
waterfowl rs they went flying over this
city sunday morning on their journey
toward the ''land Of cotton," their mo
tion' as well as their wild goblin cries,
could be distinctly marked. The flock,
winch was not formed in the customary
triangle, but in Il great irregular curve,
was still led by the old gandcr, and his
deeper note could occasionally be heard
''i''oV 'Ii' ulll Ol lnc Wllu, rcGuV voices
OF his gabbling flock. He may have
been cautioning them to keep well to-
gcthcr, and promising good time
ahead if they aN kept brayciy to the
work-anH - ladies Of the company.
as IS ~ - Uc the case, were all talking
at once, and eagerly giving all sorts of
gooSy assurances. But the interesting
dthnlng to note was the speed of the flock.
Ihey swept on through the scowling
SKY at tremendous rate; much faster,
than that Of the fastest rail
ROAD train. In making such an estimate
allowance must be made for the absence
IN the sky Of all standards of COMPARE
SON. like those which, in the shape of
nils or cities, or other terrestrial objects,
afford in the case of the express train
some means Of realizing its rate of
speed. And these loquacious geese
swept on like the wind-thcir long nccks
stretched out straight ahead, and their
GurgIlng' rccdy cries sounding almost
Those cries, perhaps, only three DAYS
before, had blended with thc Gcrco
trumpet blasts of the shrill northwrsfrr
as 1T swept far and vida ovor tLo ta,,,