170 Wild Geese 



to place in their winter-quarters in search of food, their formation is 

 much less ordered and defined, and is constantly changing. 



But whether the\' be migrating or mereh' shifting from one 

 feeding-place to another, whether the flock be a large or a small 

 one, the form of the flight is remarkable for its disciplined regularity. 

 It appears to be governed by one mind, each Goose maintaining its 

 exact distance from the next, as though chained to it by a rigid 

 rod. The alterations which are continually taking place in the 

 formation are perfectlv and regularly executed with the precision 

 of a well-drilled army corps (Fig. 14). 



It is this regular distance at which the Geese fly, the one 

 separated from the next by the space about equal to its own length, 

 which makes it almost impossible to shoot more than one Goose at 

 a time witli either barrel, from a flock flying overhead. The family 

 shot never presents itself when flying, except (i) just as they rise 



Fig. 14. 



from the ground, and before they have fallen into line, or (2) again 

 just as they are setthng, when the flock often pivots round the 

 leader. 



The leader of a flock, whether this be a simple string or a wedge, 

 may maintain his position unaltered for a great length of time, or 

 his place may be handed over to another Goose at frequent intervals, 

 but I believe these leaders are always adult birds, and never 

 birds of the year ; at any rate, all the leading birds I shot were old 

 birds, and mostly old Ganders. 



It is often supposed that their particular method of flight, 

 the wedge or the string, has been adopted by Geese in order to lessen 

 the atmospheric resistance ; that is, that each Goose forms a wind- 

 screen for the one next behind it, and only the leader of the string, 

 or the apex of the wedge, feels the full force of the air. That, it is 

 supposed, is the reason why the headship is frequently changed, a 

 tired bird dropping into the rear, and his place being taken by a 

 fresh bird, that has hitherto been flying in shelter. 



I am very doubtful about the correctness of this surmise ; it 

 presupposes, for one thing, that Geese always fly directly into the 



