Show here dri h on the water it is a curious fact easily verified that domesticated aquatic fowls do not drink while they are swimming remarked M A fulton of arkansas an old farmer famer friend of mine down in arkansas called my attention to this a short time ago and I 1 have since been closely observing the habits babits of ducks geese and swans in ia this regard to see if there was any variation from the rule laid down by ray my friend I 1 have thus far failed to find the least exception two weeks ago I 1 watched a flock of tame geese nearly all allday day to see if one of them would not dip his beak down in the water while paddling along ita As surface and tako take a drink one shrewd old gander twice startled iner by swim aning ashore oa and satisfying his thirst aft after er reaching terra firma by guzzling copiously hud and with manifest relish from the water along the bank and then swimming out to deep water again even the goslings gollings go slings went through the same performance when they grow grew thirsty I 1 would say the geese did this because they had no better sense but aben I saw ducks and swans go through the same performance I 1 cannot bring a sweeping accusation of idiocy against the already too ranch much maligned aligned goose without including in the indictment all other domesticated aquatic fowls probably the foolish and useless habit is due to tho the fact that when young these ani animals in als are taught to drink from troughs and pans and they intelligence enough to shake it off when they get grown I 1 cannot account for it in ia any other way I 1 lo 10 st louis |