SUNDRY INCIDENTS OF FOWL AND FOWLING 431 



Sound, on Friday steamers entered Copenhagen, and 

 before Saturday morning-, March 4th, the swans had de- 

 parted. 



Meanwhile, a critic had disputed the basis of the 

 forecast, gravely arguing that he knew Copenhagen — lived 

 there, I fancy ; and could certify that there were no wild 

 swans about the Danish capital. Bird-instinct is some- 

 times at fault — several instances of its mistakes and 

 failures are herein recorded ; but it never quite reaches 

 the degree of mental obfuscation revealed in this case ! 



December 17 (1889). — At 9 a.m. we lay awaiting the 

 tide to take us in to three-score wigeon on the mud. In 

 the gut behind, two golden-eyes were busy diving : when 

 right ahead appeared eleven swans, coming in from north, 

 and trumpeting splendidly. They decided to pitch in the 

 channel beyond — already their huge bodies were thrown 

 upwards, topsails backed, tails and black feet expanded to 

 check their " way," when up popped a golden-eye ten yards 

 from the boat, took in the situation at a glance, and rose 

 with all the splash and wing-rattle peculiar to his kind. 

 In a moment, both swans and wigeon had recognised the 

 danger-signal : long necks and heavy bodies quickly 

 recovered equilibrium, and we were left in the lurch. 



January 13 (1892). — The following incident was 

 reported by my brother W. This morning at day- 

 break, we were returning home to breakfast, when L. 

 (puntsman) exclaimed, "Lie flat, sir! here comes six 

 geese." They were flying directly towards us, low on the 

 water and straight in line with the fiery ball of the sun 

 then just rising from the sea, and pitched a quarter-mile 

 ahead. As the boat shot in towards them, I noticed 

 how closely they crowded together, far more so than is 

 customary with geese. " You can fire whenever you 



