night, separation and confusion would be inevitable. They would get in
each other's way every minute with their heavy wings, there would be
such a noise that the leader's voice could not be distinguished, and it
would be impossible to keep an eye upon him after dark. Besides, over
half the number are young birds, who are undertaking this tremendous
journey for the first time, and who naturally, at Aarre Water, begin to
ask if it be the Nile that they see. Time would be lost, the flock would
be broken up, and all the young would perish on the journey, if there
were not, in the very disposition of the ranks, something of the
beautiful reasoning thought binding them together.

Let us now consider the first bird, who leads the flock--presumably an
old experienced gander. He feels an impulse towards the south, but he
undoubtedly bends his neck and looks down for known marks in the
landscape. That is why the great flocks of geese follow our coast-line
southward until the land is lost to view.

But the birds do not look straight forward in the direction of their
bills: they look to both sides. Therefore, the bird next to the leader
does not follow right behind him in the 'cloven' air, but flies nearly
alongside, so that it has the leader in a direct line with its right or
left eye at a distance of about two wing-flaps.

And the next bird does the same, and the next; each keeps at the same
distance from its fore-bird.

And what each bird sees of its fore-bird are the very whitest feathers
of the whole goose, under the wings and towards the tail, and this, in
dark nights, is of great assistance to the tired, half-sleeping
creatures.

Thus each, except the pilot himself, has a fore-bird's white body in a
line with one eye, and more they do not need to trouble about. They can
put all their strength into the monotonous work of wing-flapping, as
long as they merely keep the one eye half open and see that they have
the fore-bird in his place. Thus they know that all is in order, that
they are in connection with the train, and with him at the head who
knows the way.

If from any cause a disturbance arises, it is soon arranged upon this
principle; and when the geese have flown a day or two from the
starting-point, such rearrangement is doubtless effected more rapidly
and more easily. For I am convinced that they soon come to know one
another personally so well that each at once finds his comrade in
flight, whom he is accustomed