THE WILD GOOSE. 121 



linnet. Above the larger lagoons, between ten 

 and twelve o'clock dozens of flocks could be seen 

 coming in from the distant plains, and descend- 

 ing to the water in their peculiar manner. Cir- 

 cling in air perhaps two or three times, then 

 massing silently in orderly array, they sail to a 

 point over the water, setting their wings and 

 poising for a second ; then every throat, tuned to 

 concert pitch, opens at once. Then, sometimes 

 dozens at once, they dive, tumble, whirl, gyrate, 

 and turn somersault downwards, a thousand feet 

 perhaps, to the surface of the water. Then 

 catching themselves, and closing in long and 

 orderly line, with motionless wing and silent 

 throat they sail for many a rod just above the 

 surface, and finally settle into the water as softly 

 as so many flakes of snow. 



Morning and evening, over almost every hori- 

 zon, lines of dark dots rose into the sky, and 

 from them floated far over the land, softened by 

 distance to wondrous sweetness, the Honk of the 

 Canada goose. Where the deep pink of the 

 clatonia smiled over the dense green of the 

 springing clover stood long lines of gray bodies 

 with black heads and white-collared throats. 



