364 WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



A speck before the eye, the under eye-lid, a kidney-shaped patch 

 on the throat, terminating acutely on each side of the hind head, 

 a band passing over the upper tail coverts and forwards by the sides 

 of the rump, breast, vent, and under tail coverts, all white. Abdo- 

 men yellowish-grey, edged with white. Flanks transversely barred 

 with bluish-grey and white. Bill and feet black. Bill higher than 

 wide at the front, shaped much like that of the Brent, but wider, 

 the commissure straighter, and the teeth of the upper mandible not 

 appearing externally. Wings; 1st and 3d quills nearly equal to the 

 2d, which is the longest ; the spur at the angle of the wing nearly as 

 much developed as in A. bernicla, but less than in A. canadensis and 

 .4. lencopsis. Tail of 14 feathers, rounded laterally ; the middle pair 

 shorter than the adjoining ones, and scarcely exceeding the outer. 



SWANS. (Cygnus, Rcii/.) 



In these large aquatic birds the bill is at base higher than it is 

 broad, gibbous, partly cylindric above, obtuse, and ^of the same 

 breadth throughout ; the teeth lamelliform ; the upper mandible 

 provided with a nail, and curved at the tip ; the lower shorter and 

 narrower. Nostrils in the middle of the bill, oval, pervious, cov- 

 ered by a membrane. The tongue thick and obtuse, fringed at its 

 sides. Head small, lora naked ; neck exceedingly long. Feet 

 placed far back, very short and stout; tarsus shorter than the middle 

 toe ; webs broad and entire ; hind toe equal to a joint of the middle 

 one, simple, touching the ground merely at the extremity. Wings 

 very long, when folded, the primaries scarcely extend beyond the 

 secondaries: 1st and 4tli quills equal; the 2d and 3d longest. Tail 

 wedge-shaped, consisting of numerous feathers. 



The female somewhat smaller, but similar to the male in plu- 

 mage. The young, for two or three years differ from the adult. The 

 moult is simple, annual, and protracted in its duration. The plu- 

 mage is very close, thick, soft and light. The color uniform. 



These are among the largest of aquatic birds, dwelling on fresh 

 waters, rivers or lakes, in which they swim with facility, aiding 

 their motion often through the yielding- element and the air, by 

 spreading out their wings like bending sails : indeed they surpass 

 all other birds in grace and elegance upon the water. From their 



