BIRDS IN THE CALENDAR 
be conscious of their near relations flying at 
liberty across the sky. The geese and ducks 
have been remarkably^lransformed by the 
process of domestication, and a comparison 
between those of the farmyard and their 
kindred in the marshes should illustrate not 
only the relative value of most virtues, but 
also the all-importance of Aristotle's how, 
when and where. Strictly speaking, no doubt, 
the tame birds have degenerated, both 
mentally and physically, as surely as the 
tame ass. They have lost the acute percep- 
tions and swift flight of their wild relations. 
Economically, on the other hand, they are 
immeasurably improved, since the farmer, 
indifferent to the more inspiring personality 
of the grey goose and the mallard, merely 
wants his poultry to be greedy and stupid, 
fattening themselves incessantly for Leaden- 
hall and easily captured when required. 
Between swans, geese and ducks there is 
little anatomical difference, save in the 
matter of size. The swans are the giants of 
the race, and the swans of three continents 
are white. It was left for Australia, land of 
topsy-turveydom, to produce a black swan 
128 
