MUTE SWAN. 117 



guarding her with jealous care, giving chase and battle, if 

 necessary, to every intruder. So fierce and determined are 

 they at this time that two instances have occurred in which 

 Black Swans, though but little inferior to themselves in size, 

 have been killed by White Swans ; one of these occurrences 

 which took place in the Regent's Park, is thus related. 

 *' The two White Swans pursued the Black one with the 

 greatest ferocity, and one of them succeeded in grasping the 

 black one's neck between its mandibles, and then shook it 

 violently. The Black Swan with difficulty extricated itself 

 from this murderous grasp, hurried on shore, tottered from 

 the water's edge a few paces, and fell, to die. Its death 

 appeared to be attended with great agony ; it stretched its 

 neck in the air, fluttered its wings, and attempted to rise 

 from the ground : after about five minutes of suffering it 

 made a last effort to rise, and fell dead with outstretched 

 neck and wings. Its foes never left the water in pursuit, 

 but continued sailing with every feather on end, up and down 

 towards the spot where their victim fell, and seemingly proud 

 of their conquest." 



I am indebted to the kindness of Lord Braybrooke for the 

 following account of a female Swan, on the small stream at 

 Bishop's Stortford. This Swan was eighteen or nineteen years 

 old, had brought up many broods, and was highly valued by 

 the neighbours. She exhibited, some eight or nine years 

 past, one of the most remarkable instances of the powers of 

 instinct that was ever recorded. She was sitting on four or 

 five eggs, and was observed to be very busy in collecting- 

 weeds, grasses, &c. to raise her nest ; a farming man was 

 ordered to take down half a load of havilm, with which she 

 most industriously raised her nest and the eggs two feet and 

 a half; that very night there came down a tremendous fall 

 of rain, which flooded all the malt shops and did great 



