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72 Gaelic Society of Inverness.
Latin
Order V.— NaUdores. Family I.—Anatidce.
GREY-LEGGED GOOSE, OR GREY-LAG.
Anser ferus.
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Gaelic
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Geadh-glas. Welsh
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Gwydd.
In tlie old song, already quoted in the article on the
Capercaillie, we have
" An lachag riabhach, geadh-glas nan lar-innis',
Is eala 's ciatfaiche snamh."
The brown-striped duck, grey goose of the Western Isles,
And the proudly-swimming swan.
The grey-lag may well be called the "grey goose of the Western
Isles," as it is a permanent resid nt there, and is everything but
a friend to the
quotation from
crofters. This will ))e seen from the following
Grey :— •' The grey-lag is now almost wholly
confined during the breeding season to some of the bleakest birdnurseries
of the Outer Hebrides. There it leads a comparatively
quiet life, being but seldom molested, save at the season when the
slender crops are being gathered ; and even then the native
farmers prefer the practice of driving it off by lighting fires to the
extreme measure of powder and shot. For the last hundred years,
indeed, the flocks of wild geese that collect about that season—and
a very important one it is to these isolated husbandmen—have
been kept at bay by fires alone. As soon as the breeding season
is over the geese gather into large flocks, and are then vei-y
destnictive to farm produce of all kinds ; indeed, it requires the
utmost watchfulness on the i)art of the crofters to keep them in
check. Several fires are made in the fields, and kept burning
night and day, and by this means the crops are to a great extent
saved. But the moment any of the fires are allowed to fail, the
geese, which are continually shifting about on the wing, suddenly
pitcli on the unprotected spot, and often do much mischief before
they are discovered."
BEAN GOOSE.
Latin
Latin
Anser segetum. Gaelic
Anser-cdbifrons. Gaelic
Muir-gheadli. Welsh
WHITE FRONTED GOOSE.
wyllt.
BERNICLE GOOSE.
Geadh-bhlar. Welsh
Elcysen.
Gwydd
Latin — Anser leiicopsis. Gaelic — Cathav, Cath-ian Leadan.
Welsh
Gwyran.
The Gaelic name of this goose means war-bird, llglitingbird.