GEESE 199 



I would willingly give up, in exchange, aU the 

 invitations to dine which I shall receive, all the 

 novels I shaU read, all the plays I shall witness, 

 in the next three years ; and some other miserable 

 pleasures might be thrown in. Listening to the 

 birds when, during migration, on a still frosty 

 night, they flew low, following the course of 

 some river, flock succeeding flock all night long ; 

 or heard from a herdsman's hut on the pampas, 

 when thousands of the birds had encamped for 

 the night on the plain hard by, the effect of their 

 many voices (hke that of their appearance when 

 seen flying) was singular, as well as beautiful, on 

 account of the striking contrasts in the various 

 sounds they uttered. On cold nights they are 

 most loquacious, and their voices may be heard 

 by the hour, rising and falling, now few, and 

 now many taking part in the endless confabula- 

 tion — a talkee-talkee and concert in one ; a 

 chatter as of many magpies ; the solemn, deep 

 honk-honk, the long, grave note changing to a 

 shuddering sound ; and, most wonderful, the fine 

 silvery whistle of the male, steady or tremulous, 

 now long and now short, modulated a hundred 

 ways — wilder and more beautiful than the night- 



