OCT. VIGILANCE OF WILD-SWANS. 37 



They have, however, a proper sense of justice, and 

 relieve guard regularly, like a well-disciplined gar- 

 rison. I would willingly disturb their rest with a 

 charge of swan-shot, could I get within range, but 

 not being able so to do, I must needs leave the 

 noble-looking birds to rest in peace. When I get 

 up from the place where I was sitting to watch them, 

 the sentinal gives a low cry of alarm, which makes 

 the whole rank lift their heads for a moment ; but 

 seeing that they are out of danger, and that instead 

 of approaching them I am walking in the contrary 

 direction, they all dispose themselves again to rest, 

 with the exception of their watchful sentry. In the 

 morning, at daybreak, they will all be feeding in 

 the shallow lakes in the neighbourhood, led there 

 by some old bird who has made more than one 

 journey to this country before now. Wistfully my 

 dogwatches the snow-white flock; but the evening 

 is coming on, and we must leave them. 



A desert of moss, heather, and stunted fir-trees, 

 which takes an hour to walk through, affords little 

 worthy of note, with the exception of that fine 

 fellow of a fox who, as we pass on, surveys us from 

 a hillock well out of reach. The gray crows flying 

 and croaking over his head first called my attention 

 to him. Nothing is to be seen now but the top of 

 his head and the tips of his ears, as he lowers him- 



