346 The Bird 



When wild geese and swans nest in captivity, their 

 wings are put to most excellent use as weapons of de- 

 fence, and of course this use must come into play fre- 

 quently when nesting in their native haunts. I have 

 seen a man knocked breathless by a Canada gander who 

 thought his nest in danger. When preparing for attack, 

 the bird approaches hissing, with head stretched low along 

 the ground, and suddenly, without warning, launches 



FIG 277. Trumpeter Swan preparing to attack an intruder with its wings. 



itself straight at one's breast and, clinging with bill and 

 claws, beats a tattoo with the hard bend of its wings. 

 One is not likely to forget such a drubbing for a long 

 time. The wings of certain birds are armed with weapons 

 of offence, such as the Spur-winged Goose, Jacana, Plover, 

 and Screamer. The Spur-winged Goose is a really danger- 

 ous antagonist and can strike incredibly strong blows, 

 bringing the sharp spur to bear with telling effect. These 



