SWANS 213 



One hour and twenty minutes afterwards the rape was 

 repeated within a yard of my boat; he had grown bolder. 

 So much for the swan's virtue and everlasting constancy. 



That same day I saw the young couple "ringing the bell," 

 as the fenmen say of ducks. Bobbing their long necks up 

 and down in courtship, with all the grace of courtiers, a 

 proof that she was uninjured ; for if a swan be maimed but a 

 pin's point it is taboo ; that is an example of their flunkeyism. 



It is said they do not pair nor lay until the third year. 

 However, when they do begin, it is early in the year ; and 

 in February you may see the old cock-bird building those 

 mysterious cock's nests, either to encourage the hen to 

 begin, or else to serve as armchairs for himself whilst she 

 sits upon the piled-up gladen, warming the large pound 

 eggs into life, an operation which he shares dutifully. 

 Year after year they choose the same locality for their nests, 

 on a hover or on a rond close by the water, choosing the 

 handiest material for its structure, generally old gladen or 

 water-rushes ; indeed one spring I watched an old cock build 

 two " cock's nests," one of rush, the other of gladen, on 

 hovers beside the water, after which both began building 

 the green rush nest on a lovely little islet girt with a 

 fringe of tall water-rushes and " cocks'-heads." With their 

 strong mandibles they soon completed the floor of the nest, 

 round which they placed a coil of green rushes, passing 

 the building material to each other with their bills. And I 

 had leisure enough to study the structure, for the birds 

 leave the nest and go far abroad to feed until the first large 

 egg is laid. 



But as soon as the first rough-shelled greenish-tinted 

 egg is laid they keep near at hand, though they take the 

 precaution to cover the egg. Whenever at that season we 

 approached the nest, both the gigantic birds clambered on 

 to the nest with stupid hissings. 



Every morning (for, like most wild birds, the eggs are laid 

 in the early morning) we visited the nest, and noted that 



