Outlines for Scout Workers

Outlines for Scout Workers

By Delbert W. Parratt, B. S.

XXII. The Canada Goose

Oh! Nature's noblest gift — my gray-goose quill!

Slave of my thoughts, obedient to my will,

Torn from thy parent bird to form a pen,

The mighty instrument of little men!

—Lord Byron.

1. Name at least four kinds of geese found in North America.

2. Tell of the range of the Canada goose and suggest a reason for its

name.

3. Tell of the size, color, and markings of this goose and contrast male

and female in these respects.

4. Explain the general rule regarding the color of young birds in case

the parents are alike in color. The young goose sometimes varies from this.

In what way?

5. Give time of migrations and describe method of flight.

6. Where, when, and of what are the nests made?

7. When is moulting time? Why then?

8. Geese ~-e often decoyed. Why and how?

9. Upcn what do geese subsist?

10. What protection do we give our wild geese? Is this enough? Why?

Wild Geese

The wind blows, the sun shines, the birds sing loud,

The blue, blue sky is flecked with fleecy dappled cloud,

Over earth's rejoicing fields the children dance and sing.

And the frogs pipe in chorus, "It is spring! It is spring!"

The grass comes, the flower laughs where lately lay the snow,

Over the breezy hill-top hoarsely calls the crow,

By the flowing river the alder catkins swing

And the sweet song-sparrow cries, "Spring! It is spring!"

Hark, what a clamor goes winging through the sky!

Look children! Listen to the sound so wild and high!

Like a peal of broken bells — kling, klang, kling, —

Far and high the geese cry, "Spring! It is spring!"

OUTLINES FOR SCOUT WORKERS 427

Bear the winter off with you, O wild geese, dear!

Carry all the cold away, far away from here;

Chase the snow into the North, O strong of heart and wing,

While we share the robin's rapture crying, "Spring! It is spring!"

— Celia Thaxter.

North America is famous for its geese. A number of dif-

ferent kinds are found here. The most noted are the Hutchins,

white-cheeked, cackling, and Canada. The Canada is the larg-

est of the lot and best known among gunners and epicures. His

range extends from the Arctic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, and

from the Pacific to the Atlantic. He is the only one of our geese

to be found in all parts of the continent, but, as his name sug-

gests, is especially fond of the quiet stretches of Canada.

"As befits things American, our Canada goose is the great-

est of his kind, search the world over. None other is so large,

none other affords the man who bags him such depths of satis-

faction." Ordinarily he measures from thirty-six to forty-three

inches in length, and from about ten to fifteen pounds in weight.

His body feathers are of dark grayish brown color on his back

and sides, but fade to a white on the lower belly. The slanting

breast is of paler grayish brown, and the long wing quills, short

tail, narrow rump, strong neck, and pointed head are of pleasing

black. A broad triangular patch of contrastive white covers each

cheek. At times these patches are separated under the chin by

a narrow line of black, but usually they meet with no suggestion

of demarkation.

Both male and female are much alike in color and mark-

ings, however, the gander is somewhat the larger in size. As a

rule when both parents display the same sort of gowns and

trimmings, the young offspring differ but little in their attire

from that of the grown-ups. This is true of the Canada goose

"boys and girls." The only pronounced difference is found in

the white cheek patches, which in the children are sometimes

marked with black.

Every company of Canada geese has its leader and guards.

"On the march, ranks are maintained more uniformly than in

the German army, and all maneuvers are executed with absolute

military precision. It would do you good to see a file of geese

in straight line swinging about a pit, and note the speed

with which the outer bird 'hopped' it up to keep in line." In

early spring, when the call of the North comes, the leader gives

orders and away they fly to cooler climes. Their flight is firm,

steady, and swift and, on clear days, high in the air. They

travel in V-shaped formation with their experienced leader set-

ting the pace and marking the way. Often their passage is her-

alded by a mellow, "Honk, honk, honk" and at times the fanning

of their busy wings is distinctly audible, even though the gliding

flock be so far above the observer.

428 IMPROVEMENT ERA

These migratory pilgrimages sometimes cover two or three

thousand miles. Most of the traveling is done during the day,

but at times they "move on" at night. When alighting, the out-

spread wings are held motionless, and the birds gracefully drift

down a long slope, finally settling with a heavy splash upon the

water. As a rule they sleep on the water with heads tucked

under wings until the first peep of day.

Before the coming of the white man, these interesting birds

nested in great numbers along the lakes and rivers of northern

United States, but the inroads of civilization have since changed

the breeding grounds almost wholly to the wilds of Canada.

However, in sparsely settled regions a few still hold to the old

grounds. Occasionally nests are found in our own state. Dur-

ing the summer just passed a flock of twenty or so hatched and

reared its young among the shallow waters in the northwestern

part of Salt Lake valley.

Usually the secluded nest is built among reeds or tall grass

bordering marsh or stream or else on higher ground not far

from water. It is a mass of sticks or reeds lined with grass, and

kept warm by fluffy feathers and down from the mother bird's

breast. In it are from five to eight pale buff, dull green, or else

ivory white eggs, about three and one-half by two and one-half

inches in size.

The eggs are cared for almost entirely by the goose and dur-

ing the month she is sitting the gander keeps watch in the im-

mediate vicinity to protect her in case of approaching danger.

At an early age the little goslings are led to the water and from

then on have no further use of the nest.

Soon after the young are hatched both parent birds begin to

moult. At this time they live with the babies upon or near the

water and in consequence have but little use for their wings. As

a result the birds, in moulting, shed their wing feathers all at

once and for a period are quite unable to fly. Indians and

Eskimos know of this peculiar custom and for a long time have

taken advantage of it in killing many geese during this critical

period of their lives.

By many sportsmen the Canada goose is regarded as the

wariest and gamiest of all game birds. He is alert and difficult

to approach, but his strong gregarious habits often result in his

"down-fall" among hunters. He is very sociable and will seldom

pass others of his kind that happen to be swimming upon water

or feeding upon land. In consequence, an "artificial goose" or

staked cripple rarely fails to attract the passing flock. When

thus brought to within gunshot he becomes easy prey to the

screened marksman.

This fondness of company is taken advantage of in still an-

other way- Hunters have learned to imitate the call whistle of

OUTLINES FOR SCOUT WORKERS 429

the goose, and use it in decoying him to screened pits dug in the

midst of frequented feeding grounds. Only skilful whistlers,

however, meet with much success in beguiling the keen-eared

goose to within shooting distance of the pit.

Geese are especially suspicious of dogs and men, but soon

become accustomed to cows and horses. Gunners sometimes

avail themselves of this by hiding behind these animals while

in quest of the birds. In California oxen have been trained to

serve as screens for this purpose.

When first frightened geese become much confused, but

are soon composed when launched in air. On clear days, they

usually fly high, but when going against wind, snow, or fog al-

most invariably skim just above the fields and water.

While with water they feed upon eel-grass, roots of aquatic

plants, insects, small fish, and the like, but when afield they

search for berries and glean for corn, wheat, and other grains

that may have been left among the stubble.

The Canada goose is easily domesticated and becomes much

attached to friendly surroundings. In company with others he

appears quite comfortable and contented, but when alone is

restless and ill at ease. He then seems bent on finding lost

companions, and in the effort wabbles heedlessly into almost

every place open to his view. It is then that he is the "goose"

of the old Mother Goose rhyme:

"Goosey, goosey gander, whither do you wander,

Up stairs, down stairs, in the lady's chamber?"

Section 25 of the Utah Fish and Game law reads:

"It shall be unlawful for any person to take, kill, wound, shoot at or

have in his possession any wild ducks, or geese, or to rob or destroy any

nest, egg, or young of any wild duck, goose, or snipe.

"This provision shall not prohibit the killing of not more than six geese

or twenty-five of all the birds mentioned in this section in any one day, dur-

ing the season allowed therefor, which shall commence on the first day of

October and close on the 31st day of December of each year. Provided,

that it shall be unlawful to use sneak boats or sink boxes or other similar

devices for the pursuit of such game, or to take, kill, wound or shoot at any

of the said birds between sunset and sunrise. Every person who shall vio-

late any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor

and failure by the party in possession of such birds to give satisfactory ex-

planation shall be deemed prima facie evidence of guilt."

If twenty persons should each kill six geese daily for ten

or fifteen days, how many wild geese would be left in our state?

No wonder, under such laws, our wild "honkers" are so rapidly

disappearing.

My Sleepy Goslings

Oh, say, did you ever listen,

Oh, say, did you ever try

To understand what the goslings say,

In their vesper hymns, at close of day,

Their "baby sleep," their roundelay,

Their "good night" lullaby?

430 IMPROVEMENT ERA

After a long day's journey,

The whole of the weary brood

Come trudging home, with pattering feet,

Telling, in accents grave and sweet,

Of wonderful victories and defeat,

While they were seeking food.

They all drop down in a circle,

And chatter of strangest things,

Of the bumblebee, with his velvet crest,

And the rumbly-buzz within his vest —

They tell how the fire-fly builds her nest,

And the moth, with silken wings —

And how, in the early morning,

While seeking the clover's bloom,

They wrestled with dandelion tops,

And chased a funny bird that hops,

Then drank the silvery dew that drops

Down from the spider's loom.

They tell of strange adventures

With bugs as black as night,

And how a great, gr en, ugly frog

Made faces at them from a log,

And then jumped back into the bog — ■

Which gave them such a fright!

And now, that the day is over —

And they are free from harm —

They chirp with drowsy, dense delight,

With closing eyes to the falling night,

Huddling together close and tight —

Together snug and warm.

And then they begin to murmur

A musical "all is well" —

A fairy hears it and echoes the strain,

Another one catches and sends it again

To a third, who gathers the whole refrain

In the folds of his silver bell.

Peep low, my pretty goslings,

Soft trills the nightingale;

The dew is falling, the crickets sing,

The fire-fly dances, the swamp mists cling,

A fairy poses on gossamer wing —

"All's right, and all is well."

Sweeter than lamentation

Of autumn's turtle-dove!

Sweeter than dirge to the falling leaves,

So solemnly sung by October's breeze,

Or cadence of the sorrowful trees,

Mourning for desolate love!

Sweeter than rippling waters,

Or the notes of the dying swan!

Sweeter than robin, or whippoorwill,

Is that "rock-a-bye" from fairy hill,

That sweet refrain of "Peace be still,"

Which the goslings coo and murmur and trill,

From evening until dawn. — Flora E. Bennett.

© Underwood & Under-wood, New York

Carrying out the customs of the Crusaders who, centuries before, deliv-

ered the Holy City from the infidels for a time, Gen. Allenby, commander of