234 AMERICAN GAME BIRD SHOOTING. 
lower part of the island, entered a cove which was shel- 
tered on one side by high terraces, and on the other by a 
small coppice of deciduous trees. When we had pro- 
ceeded about half a mile up this ribbon of water, we saw 
immense flocks of ducks bedded in the middle, and be- 
yond them, near the copse, swans, snow and Canada 
geese, and other species, while cranes and herons lined 
the shore, and made the woods resound with their boom- 
ing whoops. When the latter descried us, they croaked 
an alarm and fled precipitately. They were followed in 
regular order by the geese, ducks, and shore birds, the 
swans being the last to show any signs of fear. I have 
always noticed that the grallatores are among the most 
vigilant and cautious of the feathered creation. They 
seem to occupy the same position to the swimming and 
wading birds that blue-jays do to grouse and other deni- 
zens of the woodland, and the kill-deer plover to bay- 
birds, for these feathered detectives are the keenest and 
readiest of sentinels in descrying and loudly announcing 
the presence of an enemy. As soon as the cranes and 
herons announced our presence we paddled rapidly to- 
wards the swans. Knowing that they would be the last 
to rise, we succeeded in reaching their grounds in less 
than five minutes, but the moment they saw us they 
commenced wheeling and staring and glancing per- 
plexedly, sideways, as if they did not know what 
was best to do. Our rapid approach soon decided 
their course, for they raised themselves partially out of 
the water and came flapping and splashing towards 
us, as they could not take wing without coming in 
our direction. Before they could obtain momentum 
enough to rise, we blazed away at them and killed 
three and wounded two more so severely that they 
could not escape. Thinking we had done remarkably 
well so far, we went ashore, and anchored our boat by 
means of a large stone, which was tied to the painter, 
