34^ 



The Bird 



When wild geese and swans nest in captivity, their 

 wings are put to most excellent use as weapons of de- 

 fence, and of course this use must come into play fre- 

 quently when nesting in their native haunts. I have 

 seen a man knocked breathless by a Canada gander who 

 thought his nest in danger. When preparing for attack, 

 the bird approaches hissing, with head stretched low along 

 the ground, and suddenly, without warning, launches 



Fig 2/ / . - 'IrunipetiM Swan preparing to attacU an intruder with its wings. 



itself straight at one's breast and, clinging with bill and 

 claws, beats a tattoo with the hard bend of its wings. 

 One is not likely to forget such a drubbing for a long 

 time. The wings of certain birds are armed with weapons 

 of offence, such as the Spur-winged Goose, Jacana, Plover, 

 and Screamer. The Spur-winged Goose is a really danger- 

 ous antagonist and can strike incredibly strong blows, 

 bringing the sharp spur to bear with telling effect. These 



