The Water-fowl of the Pacific Coast 535 



into sight over the verdant table-lands and plains, 

 with many a silvery " honk," rolling in from every 

 quarter of the horizon. High in air they floated 

 with ease, quite wondrous for bodies so heavy, 

 and still more charming was the grace with which 

 they drifted down a thousand feet or more to the 

 water. There was none of the rushing and hiss- 

 ing of wings with which ducks descend from on 

 high, but the whole movement was one of vast 

 dignity well worthy of the grand scale on which 

 it was performed, and of the background of land 

 and sky that alone made the fairest of pictures. 

 Sometimes a dozen flocks would be coming in 

 at once, but all seemed conscious of doing 

 some very solemn act, for, from the time each 

 flock decided to settle to the water, every ringing 

 throat was hushed and every wing changed to 

 slower stroke, with all stiff-set at times. Some 

 flocks came nearly over the edge of the pond 

 before lowering, while others began as far back as 

 a mile or more ; but in all respects the action of 

 geese alighting in water at this time of day is 

 totally different from their alighting on the ground, 

 and often as different from their settling into the 

 water at night to roost. 



Here came a flock in a long, spiral line, starting 

 almost over the centre of the pond and curling 

 down like a winding staircase, with every wing 

 motionless as the throats that but a moment ago 



