128 GAME-BIRDS AT HOME. 



in. Grass or reeds in the water will often do, 

 and if the pond is not too large you may ap- 

 proximate the range by firing at the blank 

 water. The bright winter morning is scarcely 

 half gone when, above the hills that loom hazily 

 green in the warm sun, dark dotted lines begin to 

 rise and the silvery Honk rings along the blue 

 vault. Instead of pitching and tumbling like 

 the white-fronted goose, the Canada geese often 

 drift slowly down sometimes two thousand feet 

 or more on a slope two or three miles long, 

 almost w^ithout moving a wing. As they near 

 the surface of the water and spread their wings 

 on a plane parallel to its glassy face eveiy throat 

 for a moment is hushed, and they sweep majesti- 

 cally but softly along as if air were buoyant as 

 water. Then with sudden stroke of wing they 

 turn themselves half erect until their underwear 

 is brightly pictured in the mirror beneath and 

 the white collars shine on their outstretched 

 necks, with heavy splash settle into the water, 

 and in a moment all is still. 



Wop goes the ball against the water, and 

 whe-eeeoooo it sings on high after glancing from 

 its surface. Instantly follows the roar of heavy 



