THE SWANS. 



By C. WILLIAM BEEBE, 



CURATOR OF BIRDS. 



GENERAL ACCOUNT. 



FROM the time of Homer down to the present day swans 

 have been surpassed by no other wild birds except eagles 

 in the extent to which they have entered into the folk-lore, lit- 

 erature, and history of mankind. Until we have made a careful 

 study of the annals of the past, we have no idea how many stories, 

 myths, and legends have growui up about the swan. One of the 

 largest and most graceful of all winged creatures, of so conspicu- 

 ous a hue, and coming annually from the mysterious north, to 

 which it later returned, we realize that there was abundant reason 

 for the notice which was accorded it. 



Like all other conspicuous objects in nature the swan, in olden 

 time, played a prominent part in religious ceremonies, being con- 

 sidered either as an actual god, or feared and propitiated as a 

 bird of prophecy. The shamen of the East, the wizard men of 

 Lapland, and the medicine men of our Indians all prized a feather 

 or other portion of this bird as a worthy talisman and an accom- 

 paniment of their magic paraphernalia. 



It is said that in the year 1304 King Edward I of England took 

 a solemn oath on two beautiful swans. Doubtless the idea was 

 handed down to his time from some ancient pagan worship, and 

 even to our owai day we may hear among New England farmers 

 " I swan ! " as an exclamation of surprise. This is one version 

 of the origin of the expression ; while other authorities give a 

 more prosaic explanation, stating that it is merely a euphemistic 

 variation of swear. 



Going back millions of years, before the first human being 

 beheld and wondered at one of these beautiful white creatures, 

 we have but little clew to the ancestral evolution of the group of 

 swans. Although as to size swans are a well-marked assemblage, 

 they differ on the whole so slightly from ducks and geese that 



