666 CYGNUS MUSICUS. 



the markets, while at other times the ornithologist who wishes 

 to obtain a recent specimen will fail in his endeavours. 

 Under these circumstances, it appears that very little can be 

 said of the peculiar habits of this species. The substances 

 whidh I have found in its stomach were roots and rhizomata, 

 together with some herbage, and, in the case of the adult 

 male described above, which I obtained in February 1838, 

 the roots and leaves of Zostera. Along with the food is 

 always found a large quantity of fine quartz sand. Instead 

 of fairly admitting their utter ignorance of the habits of this 

 bird, our ornithologists interlard its obscure and imperfect 

 history with conjectures and disquisitions of various kinds. 

 Mr. Thomson, however, who states that it visits Ireland 

 occasionally in winter, gives a good deal of information 

 respecting its habits ; and Mr. St. John, in his Wild Sports 

 of the Highlands, has an excellent description of the manners 

 of "Wild Swans in Scotland. 



Montagu relates that a female Whistling Swan, shot near 

 Bridgewater in 1805, got the better of her wound, and was 

 kept by Mr. Stone with his Geese for nearly two years, in 

 which time she laid an egg. That gentleman presented her 

 to the naturalist, who thus further details her history: — 

 " This beautiful and docile bird is now alive and in high 

 health, living with many sorts of Ducks in the greatest 

 harmony. Towards the spring she becomes more clamorous, 

 and impatient of confinement ; but at all times will approach 

 those persons in the habit of feeding her, and will take food 

 from the hand, at the same time uttering those plaintive and 

 harmonious notes for which the species has been remarkable, 

 and which are always attended with a singular jerk of the 

 head. She usually carries her neck straight and erect, either 

 upon the water or when stationary on land ; but in walking 

 the head is lowered, and the neck reclining over the back. 

 In the season of love she frequently flaps along the surface of 

 the water, and would undoubtedly fly, if the precaution of 

 annually cutting the feathers of one wing was omitted, for 

 whatever might have been the wound that was the cause of 

 captivity, nature has performed a perfect cure. Her nature 

 is gentle, timid, and sociable ; she will follow those with 



