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 
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