183 THE WHOOPER SWAN 
In Iceland, the summer resort of these birds, they are much sought 
after for the sake of their down. In the month of August, when the 
old birds, having cast their quill-feathers, are unable to fly, the 
natives assemble in bodies in the places where the Swans collect, 
and mounted on small but active horses chase them through the 
marshes, and ride many of them down; but the greater number 
are caught by the dogs, which always seize the birds by the neck, 
and so encumber them that they are then easily overtaken. But 
it is not the habit of Swans to remain much on land; the perfect 
ease with which they float and swim indicates that the water is their 
element, and a glance at their long necks tells at once that their 
nature is to feedin shallow water or on the margin of deep lakes, 
where with their strong bills they either tear up the stems and 
roots of aquatics from the bottom, or crop at their pleasure from 
the banks. To this kind of food they add such insects, molluscs 
and worms as come within their reach; and (when sailing in salt 
water) sea-weeds, and especially the long, ribbon-like leaves of 
zostéra. During summer they frequent the most secluded swamps 
and lakes in the wooded districts of the north, and build a very large 
nest in a spot unapproachable by human feet. A few go no farther 
north than the Orkneys and Shetlands, but their headquarters 
are Siberia, Iceland, Lapland, and Hudson’s Bay. 
After they have recovered from their summer moult, they migrate 
southwards, and arrive in Scotland, sometimes in large flocks, 
early in October. Mr. St. John, in his Wild Sports of the High- 
lands, gives an interesting account of their habits while in this 
country. He went in pursuit of a flock which had selected for 
their winter feeding-place some fresh-water lochs about half a mile 
from the sea. They passed the day mostly on the salt water, and 
in the evening came inland to feed. He found them on one of the 
smaller lochs, some standing high and dry on the grassy islands 
trimming their feathers after their long voyage, and others feeding 
on the grass and weeds at the bottom of the loch, which in some 
parts was shallow enough to allow of their pulling up the plants 
which they fed on as they swam about, while numbers of wild 
Ducks of different kinds, particularly Wigeons, swarmed round 
them, and often snatched the pieces of grass from the Swans as 
soon as they had brought them to the surface, to the great annoy- 
ance of the noble birds, who endeavoured in vain to drive away 
these most active little depredators, who seemed determined to 
profit by their labours. ‘I observed’, he says, ‘that frequently all 
their heads were under the water at once, excepting one—but 
invariably one had kept his head and neck perfectly erect, and 
carefully watched on every side to prevent their being taken by 
surprise ; when he wanted to feed, he touched any passer-by, 
who immediately relieved him in his guard, and he in his turn 
called on some other Swan to take his place as sentinel.’ 
