406 APPROACHING LARGE COMPANIES OF FOWL. 



fowl and the well-known fact that they are able to 

 communicate their thoughts to each other : of this there 

 can be no doubt, indeed experienced wildfowlers 

 always know, by the talk of the birds, whether they 

 are in a suspicious mood or not ; and if they are, 

 it is generally waste of time to attempt to creep 

 or punt up much closer to them, as some of them are 

 sure to be in a position to catch sight of him. Wild 

 moorland birds on mountains for instance, probably 

 have their sentries posted on top of some high rock 

 or other eminence in the vicinity, from whence they 

 can overlook everything all around where the flock are 

 feeding or resting. 



Other birds feeding on a plain, perhaps have their 

 sentry perched aloft upon a tree, if there is one near 

 by, from whence he can see everything that approaches. 

 So again, aquatic wildfowl feeding in large companies, 

 on the ooze left uncovered by the tide, at night inva- 

 riably have their sentries some little distance out from 

 the rest of the flock, where they have the best chance 

 of detecting the approach of a foe. And in all these 

 cases, a single low note of alarm, uttered by the sentry, 

 is sufficient to put the entire company instantly on the 

 alert: on hearing this the whole of the birds at once 

 cease feeding, and in complete silence sit keenly on the 

 look-out for the suspected foe. The moment therefore 

 that the experienced fowler hears the " talk of the birds " 

 suddenly cease, he takes the hint, and remains himself 

 absolutely still and motionless: the least noise at such 

 a moment would cause the whole company to rise 

 with one consent, and with the sound almost as of a 

 peal of thunder, caused by the simultaneous beating 

 of innumerable wings, the vast assembly takes its 



