334 AMERICAN GAME BIKD SHOOTING. 



lower part of the island, entered a cove which was shel- 

 tered on one side by high terraces, and on the other by a 

 small coppice of deciduous trees. When we had pro- 

 ceeded about half a mile up this ribbon of water, we saw 

 immense flocks of ducks bedded in the middle, and be- 

 yond them, near the copse, swans, snow and Canada 

 geese, and other species, while cranes and herons lined 

 the shore, and made the woods resound with their boom- 

 ing whoops. Wlien the latter descried us, they croaked 

 an alarm and fled precipitately. They were followed m 

 regular order by the geese, ducks, and shore birds, the 

 swans being the last to show any signs of fear. I have 

 always noticed that the grallatores are among the most 

 vigilant and cautious of the feathered creation. They 

 seem to occupy the same position to the swimming and 

 wading birds that blue-jays do to grouse and other deni- 

 zens of the woodland, and the kill-deer plover to bay- 

 birds, for these feathered detectives are the keenest and 

 readiest of sentinels in descrying and loudly announcing 

 the presence of an enemy. As soon as the cranes and 

 herons announced our presence we jiaddled ra2)idly to- 

 wards the swans. Knowing that they would be the last 

 to rise, we succeeded in reaching their grounds in less 

 than five minutes, but the moment they saw us they 

 commenced wheeling and staring and glancing per- 

 plexedly, sideways, as if they did not know what 

 was best to do. Our rapid approach soon decided 

 their course, for they raised themselves partially out of 

 the water and came flapping and splashing towards 

 us, as they could not take wing without coming m 

 our direction. Before they could obtain momentum 

 enough to rise, we blazed away at them and killed 

 three and wounded two more so severely that they 

 could not escape. Thinking we had done remarkably 

 well so far, we went ashore, and anchored our boat by 

 means of a large stone, which was tied to the painter, 



