220 ANIMAL ARTISANS 



to which each member of the flock spontaneously 

 adjusts its flight. But the need for communication 

 by signal is clearly recognised in the case of some 

 species. Wild geese, for example, when merely flying 

 to and from their feeding-ground, or " changing pas- 

 tures," fly almost in line abreast. But when migrating, 

 or taking long flights inland, they fall into the wedge 

 formation, with a leader to give the signals. Their 

 vocabulary of satisfaction, " society," and pleasure is 

 apparently very wide ; the fowlers always speak of 

 geese as "talking" on the sands at night. 



The tame swan, on the other hand, is so silent that 

 its specific name is the "mute swan." Though it hisses 

 at a dog or any other enemy, its communications with 

 its mate by day are wholly those of sight ; but those who 

 are familiar with swan-haunted rivers note that at night 

 the mute swan is no longer mute. It has at least two 

 calls, one apparently to ascertain the position of the 

 other bird, and the other a note uttered when it is 

 flying. It has a third note only used to call its young, 

 which are themselves quite as conversational as goslings. 

 A tame cygnet kept by the writer from the time 

 it was two days old " talked " incessantly. When 

 hungry or frightened its note was a single sharp 

 " cheep," very much like the sound a young chicken 

 makes in similar circumstances, but far louder. When 

 more contented the note was double and lower in 

 tone, and when the cygnet was thoroughly happy its 

 voice was a continuous twitter very like the song of 

 a swallow. 



