5-^8 THE FE.\THERED TRIBES. 



"WTiere, as it sometimes happens, the male bird of one owner mates with the female of 

 another, the brood are divided between the owners of the parent birds, the odd cygnet, 

 except in Buckinghamshire, being allotted to the owner of the male. 



The young or brown birds receiving the marks of their respective owners, and pinioned, 

 are put into the river, as are also the white or old swans after the completing of the 

 pinioning of such of them as, on account of their weakness, had, in their first year, been 

 deprived of one joint only of the wing. If any white swans are found by the sovereign's 

 marker in an open common, river, or creek, he seizes them, and the crown mark is put upon 

 them. But swans kept in private waters need not be marked. A subject who has white 

 swans not marked, and has private waters, may retake them upon fresh pursuit, if they 

 escape therefrom into an open and common river ; though it is otherwise if they have 

 gained their natural liberty, and are swimming in open rivers without such pursuit. 



The sign of one of our old city inns, " The Swan with Two Necks," arose out of a 

 practice of those times. According to the swan laws, every one belonging to the king 

 was marked with two nickf> or notches ; and the original sign was the roj-al bird so 

 marked, that is to saj', with two nickn. In process of time, by some mistake, the two 

 nicks were called two necks ; and the error has been perpetuated to our own daj'. 



Mr. Grouvelle states, that when a severe frost threatens to usurp their domain, the 

 swans congregate and dash the water with their wings fully extended, making a noise 

 which is heard -very far, and which, whether in the night or the daj^, is louder in propor- 

 tion as the frost becomes more intense. In former times the swan was served up at every 

 great feast ; and the late Bishop of Norwich, then President of the Linniiean Society, 

 favoured Mr. Yarrell with the following particulars of a practice in that citj', in reference 

 to the feeding the young swans of the year for the table : — The town-clerk sends a note 

 from the town-hall to the public swan-herd, the corporation, and others, who have swans 

 and swan-rights. ( )n the second Monday of August, when collected in a small stream or 

 pond, the number annually varying from fifty to seventy, and many of them belonging 

 to private individuals, they begin to feed immediately, being provided with as much 

 barley as they can eat, and are usually ready for killing early in November. A printed 

 copy of the following lines is usually sent with each bird : — 



TO RO.iST A SWA.N. 



Take tluie jioumls of beef, beat fiKC in a luortnr, 



I'lit it into the swan — that is, when you've caught licv; 



Sonic jjcppcr, salt, niacc, .some nutmeg-, an onion, 



AVill licighlcn the flavour in gourmand's opinion. 



'i'hcu tic it up tight with a .small piece of tape. 



That the gravy and other things may not escape. 



A meal paste, rather stiff, .should be laid on the breast, 



And some vhited brown paper should cover the rest. 



Fifteen minutes, at least, ere tlic swan you take down, 



PuU the paste off the biid, that the breast may get brown. 



•I'lIE CKAVY. 

 To a gravy of beef, good and strong I opine, 

 You'll be right if you add half a pint of port wine, 

 I'our this tlirough the swan, yes, quite through the belly, 

 Then .serve the whole up witli some hot currant jelly. 

 X.IV — The swan nnist not be skinned. 



The voice of the swan is low, soft, and munnuriiig, and when heard iVoiu multitudes 

 congregated togcllui- has a very pleasing ell'ect. To it Shakspenrc repeatedly alludes. 

 Thus, while Bassanin ddilfi-iti - on the caskets, Portia says : 



" Ilnrk ! ennst thou hear mc !' I will ])lny the swan, 

 And die in music — AVillow, willow, willow." 



