BIRDS IN THE CALENDAR 



encounter was on a Devonshire trout stream, 

 and my only weapon was a fragile trout rod. 

 The certainty that discretion is, under these 

 circumstances, the better part of valour is 

 emphasised by the knowledge that any vio- 

 lence to the bird would probably lead to a 

 prosecution. Even the smaller geese can in- 

 spire fear when they dash hissing at intruders ; 

 hence, no doubt, the nursemaid's favourite 

 reproach of children too frightened to " say 

 bo to a goose," an expression made classical 

 by Swift. 



The majority of these waterfowl are in- 

 sectivorous in the nursery stage and vegetar- 

 ian when full grown. Fish forms an inappre- 

 ciable portion of their food, with the two 

 notorious exceptions of the goosander and 

 merganser, though anglers are much exer- 

 cised over the damage, real or alleged, done 

 by these birds to their favourite roach and 

 dace in the Thames. These swans belong 

 for the most part to either the Crown or the 

 Dyers' and Vintners' Companies, and the 

 practice of " uppings ", which consists in 

 marking the beaks of adult birds and pinion- 

 ing the cygnets, is still, though shorn of some 

 130 



