THE LAST WEEK IN MARCH 21 
disconcerting the fish by violently flapping 
its wings in its efforts to release itself ; it 
had ultimately died, choked by the swelling 
of its neck and throat. The photograph 
shows the ruffled feathers at the spot where 
it was injured. Several specimens of both 
these kinds of ducks kept careering round, 
doubtless wishing that we were gone. How 
characteristic is the flight of the duck! the 
wings are moved very rapidly, and the direc- 
tion is always straight, or almost so. Even 
if many of them are together, this method 
of flying is maintained, the birds following 
each other in a long line. This is especially 
seen in prolonged flights. When suddenly 
alarmed they rise, of course, in all directions, 
but join ranks and take up the single line 
formation as soon as possible. Now and 
again loud cleavings of the air caused us to 
turn our eyes to the spot whence the sounds 
came. They were produced by the male 
swans flying to and fro, their long necks 
stretched out to the full, protruding beyond 
their great bodies and huge wings. From 
