Wild Geese 171 



wind. The leader's office, in my opinion, is merely that of a pilot 

 and look-out. He is responsible for the party wliile in the air, 

 just as the Goose told oi^" for sentry duty is responsible for their 

 safety on the ground. As pilot, the leader is responsible for the 

 direction the flock is taking, and the altitude at which they are 

 flying ; as watchman, for the avoidance of enemies, or dangers of 

 any kind lying below or in front. I do not believe that the muscular 

 exertion he has to expend in Hying directly against the wind 

 is the least bit more or less than tliat put in by those behind 

 him. Geese, as I say, fly separated from each other by certain 

 fixed and regular intervals, as though they were chained together 

 by an invisible rod, and all on the same plane. This interval 

 is about a Goose's length or a little more. I cannot see, from a 

 mechanical point of view, that A's body, which is, say, thirty inches 

 in length, can afford much shelter to B, who is thirty inches or 

 so behind the tail of A, even with a head-wind. B would really be 

 getting A's wash, if one may adopt a rowing expression ; he would 

 get the force of the wind, plus any extra disturbance that the move- 

 ment of A's wings had put into it.* With a beam wind, or indeed 

 anything but a dead noser, the supposed shelter would vanish 

 altogether. If shelter were the object of the particular formation, 

 then with a head-wind it would be better for A, B and C to close up 

 and blot out the interval altogether. With cross and following 

 winds there could be no possibility of obtaining any shelter from the 

 leader. Geese rigidly stick to their formation, whatever way the 

 wind may be blowing — against, with, or across, or in a flat calm, 

 with no wind at all. For that reason, I do not think the habit has 

 originated with any idea of lessening the labour of flight by cheating 

 the wind. 



In their ordinary flights, when they are moving from one feeding- 

 spot to another. Geese commonl}' fly fift}' or sixty yards from the 

 ground, rising up another twenty yards or so whenever they have to 

 cross any dangerous spot, farm roads, etc., which might conceal an 

 enemy, and dropping back to the old level as soon as this is passed. 

 In order to settle with as little violence as possible, they always 

 alight head to wind. Having determined the ground on which they 

 wish to descend, while still at their old altitude of fifty or sixty 

 yards, they suddenly cease all movement of their wings, switch oft" 

 the engines, as it were, and slowly plane round in wide descending 

 circles, which enables them thoroughly to inspect the ground, and 

 see that it is clear of enemies, before they risk alighting. All this 

 time the w'ings are extended and motionless. The final operation, 

 when they are about fifty feet from the ground, is putting the brakes 

 on, to reduce the remaining speed, while still retaining enough way 

 to control their steering. This " braking " is accomplished by 

 turning the hitherto extended wings sharpl}- downwards and forwards 



* " Battered " air, i.e., air which has just been violently disturbed, as, for instance, by the 

 strokes of a bird's wing, or of an aeroplane's propeller, is recognised as offering an untrustworthy 

 support — Editor 



