BRENT GEESE 333 



vertically, spinning- high off the sea at a single impulse, as 

 ducks do, but rise horizontally, going a yard or two before 

 they are clear of the trajectory of a punt-gun, one's fire 

 should always be reserved till they fly. They are, how- 

 ever, smarter than they appear in getting under way. 

 Consequently the trigger-lanyard must be pulled at the 

 same instant that the black pinions begin to spread. 

 Not the eighth part of a second must elapse, or assuredly 

 not a bird will be hit. The best shots at geese are invari- 

 ably made on the wing, by keeping a good elevation on 

 the gun, and firing the instant they rise. The best time 

 of all, when the heaviest shots are made, is on the break- 

 up of long-protracted periods of frost and hard weather. 

 At such times the geese are often mixed with mallard and 

 wigeon ; in mild weather they keep separate. 



Just at dark the whole host rise on wing together, and 

 make for the open sea. In the morning they have come 

 in by companies and battalions, but at night they go out 

 in one solid army ; and a fine sight it is to witness their 

 departure. The whole host, perhaps ten thousand strong, 

 here massed in dense phalanxes, elsewhere in columns, 

 tailing off into long skeins, V's, or rectilineal formations 

 of every conceivable shape (but always with a certain 

 formation) — out they go, full one hundred yards high, 

 while their loud clanging defiance — "honk, honk! — 

 torrock, torrock!" and its running accompaniment of 

 lower croaks and shrill bi-tones, resounds for miles 

 around. 



When much harassed during the day, brents may 

 come into harbour by night, especially during full moon ; 

 but they are fully aware of the danger of doing so, 

 and of their own (comparatively) deficient vision during 

 the dark. Hence they only trust themselves inside by 



