338 



LEAVIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



Swans are very shy, fly liigh, !in<l fire not easily brought down un- 

 less .struck in some vital part. The flesh of the cygnet, or young 

 swan, is considered excellent. We have eaten of it frequently, but 

 cannot say that we have any great predilection in its favor. One 

 tiling is certain, however: it is superior to the wild goose, but in- 

 ferior to the canvas-back. 



Swans are frequently — and, we may say, easily — domesticated ; 

 but they Avill not thrive save where they can pass most of their 

 time on the water. In such favorable situations for their mode 

 of life, they will breed and live for years contented and happy. 

 Swans, jmr excellence^ are the most beautiful, most elegant, most 

 graceful, and most spotless of all fowl. Their plumage is perfectly 

 wdiite. 



The Cygnus Americana is the species most commonly met with. 

 The other varieties are but seldom shot in these parts. Swans, like 

 the rest of the wild fowl, retire to the Far North in the early 

 spring. 



