FORT RELIANCE TO FORT RESOLUTION 267 



As they flew they uttered three different notes: a deep 

 hom-Hke "too" or "coo," a higher pitched "coo," and 

 a warble-Uke "tootle-tootle," or sometimes simply "tee- 

 tee." Maybe the last did not come from the Swans, 

 but no other birds were near; I suppose that these 

 three styles of 

 notes came from 

 male, female, 

 and young. 



Next morning 

 7 flocks of Swans 

 flew overhead 

 toward the 

 south-west. They 

 totalled 46; 12 

 were the most in 

 one flock. In 

 this large flock I 

 saw a quarrel. No. 2 turned back and struck No. 3, 

 his long neck bent and curled like a snake, both 

 dropped downward several feet then 3, 4 and 5 left 

 that flock. I suspect they were of another family. 



But, later, as we entered the river mouth we had a 

 thrilling glimpse of Swan life. Flock after flock came 

 in view as we rounded the rush beds ; 12 flocks in all 

 we saw, none had less than 5 in it, nearly 100 Swans in 

 sight at once, and all rose together with a mighty flap- 

 ping of strong, white wings, and the chorus of the 

 insignificant " too-too-tees" sailed farther southward, 

 probably to make the great Swan tryst on Hay 

 River. 



Back's chimney in Buffalo Jones's cabin 



