THE BRENT GOOSE. 59 



on wing, continued their notes in the air, as they likewise did after 

 having settled on the water. The rushing sound this ilock produced 

 when rising at about a mile distance from me, resembled some 

 " elemental war." Their call, as heard at two miles^ distance, was 

 quite loud. Audubon remarks : — " As to its cry, although I have 

 often seen hundreds of individuals at a time, I have not been able 

 to tune my ears so as to liken its cacklings to the sounds pro- 

 duced by ' a pack of hounds in full cry,^ as alleged by Wilson"'^ 

 (vol. V. p. 24). True, when the cry is borne dii-ectly to one from 

 a flock of birds swimming in order, it is not sufficiently varied to 

 be musical ; but when the birds are veering about on wing, or 

 swimming in different directions, it strongly resembles what Wil- 

 son has compared it to. But I shall call a witness in favour of 

 the statement, that, under cross-examination, will not break down. 

 March 8, 1840; a delightful, warm, calm day: on riding from 

 Belfast to Holywood at liigh water, birds of various species were 

 abundant. Opposite Clifden, and very near the shore, were perhaps 

 .500 brent geese in a flock, keeping up their usual concert, like the 

 music of a pack of hounds in fuU cry. The moment that, borne on 

 the gentle gale, my horse heard it, he became quite impatient, as 

 hunters do on hearing the hounds at a distance, and continued very 

 spirited and restless so long as he was within hearing of the sound ; 

 just as he would have done had it proceeded from a genuine pack. 

 Thus have we the acute hearing of the horse bearing testimony to 

 the resemblance ; and this sense in the quadruped is superior to 

 that of his lord and master — Man. I have often, when going 

 to join the hounds, had evidence of this, as on gaining the 

 ridge of hill that overlooked the hunting ground a few miles 

 distant, our horses indicated that they recognized the cry before 

 we did ourselves. I do not remember having been in any 

 other instance on horseback witliiu hearing of " the cr/' of the 

 brent geese. 



The rate of swimming of these birds is quick. Once, when 

 walking along the side of the bay, and a flock of about 300, not 



* Wilson also alliicliis to their " honking" voice, which, in the north of Ireland, is 

 called " cronkin," both words representing the sound produced. 



