The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1935-03-01
Prepared by National Geographic Society
VAS lngton. ID. C.-WNU Service.

"A Dark flying rune against the
western glow
1t tells the sweep ana lonei-
ness of things
The writer of these lines and other
poets have drawn inspiration from the
striking formations that especially
characterize the movements of swans,
geese and ducks.
That flying wedge or undulating line
etched against the sunset sky or the
orderly, swift-moving formation hlgh
overhead !. Here is the symbol that
inspires the Imagination of even the
casual observer, as it has the poets
who have written of flying wild fowl
through the ages.
Behind this aura of glamour and
mystery lies the fascinating life story
of the majestic wild swans, the willy
geese. the hardy and adaptable DUCKS,
and the fish-loving mergansers. They
are fairly compact and homogeneous
group of birds, their only relatives OF
undoubted connection being the scream
ers of South America, large, goose-llke,
wading birds with unwebbed toes.
Geese and ducks are found all over
the world wherever water exists, ex-
cept on the oceans far from land.
Common to the order are long
neck, sometimes very long; short legs,
webbed toes, and a bill covered with
sensitive skin and provided inside with
comblike structures known as lamellae
modified in the mergansers to sharp
''teeth" for holding slippery fish.
The eggs are without markings, and
the young, Matched covered with down,
are able to find their. own food very
soon after they emerge from the egg.
The graceful, snow-white swans,
sometimes five feet in length, make
I'D the first of seven subfamilies into
which are divided the North American
members of the suborder. The other
six are the geese, tree ducks, surface
feeding ducks, diving ducks, stiff-tailed
ducks, and mergansers.
Swans Highly Esteemed.
Much that has been written about
swans has been Influenced by their
aesthetic appeal This is apt to dis
tort the facts to their advantage, and
it is Just as well, because no other
birds can provide the thrill that flock
Of wild swans gives the nature lover.
First in order and in size, they have a
form too universally known to require
description. The two North American
species are so similar that they can be
differentiated with certainty only by
the character of their internal struc-
ture and by their very distinct voices.
The swans are perfect models of
conjugal conduct. They mate for life
and the sexes share the domestic re-
sponsbilities.
The downy young when first Matched
are not the ''ugly ducklings" Of popular
belief, but lovely little creatures,
clothed in silky, golden down and with
out the exaggerated neck and huge
paddlelike feet of their parents. Very
soon, however, these characteristics be-
gin to appear and ungainliness replaces
their natal loneliness until the grace
and beauty of maturity appear.
Fortunately, there is small If any
possibility of the determination Of the
whistling swan, and with careful con-
servation it may even be possible to
perpetuate the trumpeter.
The goose family is well represented
I'm North America, especially In the
West, where in some localities six spe-
cies may be seen on the same ground.
Their extraordinary nigrations and
ba;, hrnn n c
intensity the interest that both sports
men and naturalists take in these fine
birds. Even yet, there are a few
whose summer homes are unknown,
while the systematic status of some
races and their relation to each other
have still to be worked out. Much
study in the field, especially at their
nesting grounds, Is required to estab-
lish these facts.
Geese, like swans, pair for life, and
the young birds remain in the company
of their parents for nearly year after
they are Matched.
Geese Are Smart Birds.
Endowed with keen intelligence and
extreme wariness, they can be depend
ed on to maintain a fair degree of
abundance as long as adequate winter
ing grounds are afforded them. But,
above all, they, like swans, require
freedom from molestation when they
are at rest, so that a large measure
of solitude and wide spaces are the
chief requirements for their perpetu-
alton.
Both families have lower rate of
reproduction than ducks, as they re-
ouire several years to attain maturity
and the number of eggs laid is much
smaller than with most species of
ducks, s
Whether by day or night, geese do a
lot of calling while in flight; when mi
grating high overhead the clamor of
their voices falling from the sky draws
attention to the flock in arrowhead for
nation. cleaving the upper air. Spe-
cies can be identified by their different
voices. When feeding they are silent,
only Cabling little to each other in
low tones. The first appearance OF
danger will bring warning challenge
from the sentinel and every head is
erected while the danger is scrutiniZed
Both geese and swans are noted fol-
their longevity, the latter being among