XXIV HABITS OP S IVANS 423 



or any chain of fresh- water lakes, if they are disturbed and fly 

 either to the sea or to some adjoining piece of water, they keep 

 always about the same line. When once you have taken notice 

 of the exact line of their flight, it is easy to get shots by sending 

 a person to put them up when seen feeding, having previously 

 concealed yourself in the direction of their course. 



It is useless shooting at them when coming towards you, 

 and the best chance of killing them is either to allow them to 

 pass before you fire, or, just as they are over your head, by 

 jumping up and showing yourself, you may make them turn 

 off to the right and left, in this way affording a fair chance to 

 your shot, which easily penetrates them when flying straight 

 away. 



When in the water, a wild swan is not easy to kill, unless 

 hit in the head or neck, as they swim very flat and low, and their 

 feathers sit so close that shot will scarcely penetrate unless you 

 can fire from above the birds. 



I once winged a wild swan, which fell into a large and deep 

 loch. The rest of the birds flew away towards another piece 

 of water about a mile off. I had no retriever with me, but 

 profiting by the advice of my keeper, instead of attempting to 

 get at the bird in any way, I took a circuit, keeping myself 

 concealed, towards the line of flight taken by the rest of the 

 flock. The winged bird, after swimming about uneasily for a 

 short time, seeing no enemy at hand, and finding that her 

 companions did not return, went to the edge of the water, and 

 having taken a careful survey of the country around, scrambled 

 out, and commenced a journey after them on terra firma. I 

 allowed her to walk to some distance from the loch, and then 

 running up, cut her off from returning to it. As soon as she 

 saw me she made over a hillock in their line of flight ; I ran 

 up, and not seeing her, tracked her a little way in the sand, 

 and presently found her lying stretched out flat on the ground 

 amongst some long grass, endeavouring to hide herself. When 

 she found that I had discovered her she again made off, but 

 was soon caught. 



I mention this for the benefit of any one who may be in 

 the predicament of having winged a swan on a lake, as this 

 bird, if left alone and not seeing an enemy, will invariably make 

 for the bank, and most probably leave the water to follow in 



