How Animals Talk 



travels much wider than when he is sauntering 

 about. But if a man sits absolutely quiet, a clean 

 man especially, no animal can detect him beyond a 

 few feet, I think, for the reason that a resting man 

 is like a resting bird or beast in that he gives off 

 very little body scent, which remains on the 

 ground close about him instead of floating off on 

 the air currents. Even when the trees are tossing 

 in a gale there is little stir on the ground, not in 

 the woods at least, and the closer you hold to 

 Mother Earth the less likelihood is there of any 

 beast smelling you. 



All ground-nesting birds depend for their lives 

 on this curious provision of nature. Were it not 

 for the fact that practically no scent escapes 

 while they are brooding their eggs, very few of 

 them would live to bring forth a family in a wood 

 nightly traversed by such keen-nosed enemies as 

 the fox and the weasel. My old setter would 

 wind a running grouse or quail at an incredible 

 distance, and would follow him by picking his 

 scent from the air; but I have taken that same 

 dog on a leash near the same birds when they 

 were brooding their eggs, and he could not or 

 would not detect them unless he were brought 

 within a few feet, or (a rare occurrence) unless a 

 creeping ground-breeze blew directly from the 

 nest into his face. 



[222] 



