WILD-SWAN SHOOTING. 205 



and find food and shelter in any lake or secluded locality, where the 

 tide ehbs and flows, they generally keep to it until late in the spring-; 

 dividing- their time, apparently, between visits to the sea, the moors, 

 and the lakes, spending- more of their leisure at the lakes than else- 

 where. But, from the incessant attempts of punters to approach 

 them, they become so vig-ilant, that they often take wing- as soon as 

 approached within the distance of two or three hundred yards. 



I remember a herd of wild-swans taking- up their quarters, during- 

 a very severe winter, in an extensive salt-water pool, into which 

 every tide ebbed and flowed. The pool was a branch of a large river, 

 bounded on all sides by private property; and the swans — about 

 thirty in all — were not permitted to be disturbed, but were fed and 

 enticed by the Squire to resort there, and take up a permanent 

 abode. They remained so long after the frost had gone, and the 

 spring had far advanced, that the Squire congratulated himself on 

 the valuable acquisition to his estate of an easily-acquired swannery. 

 One fine morning, however, in the month of April, the whole herd of 

 swans were observed to soar high in the air, making a beautiful 

 circular evolution above the lake where they had so many weeks 

 enjoyed the good Squire's protection from molestation, and fed gree- 

 dily upon his bounty. They continxied hovering around in the manner 

 described for a few minutes, as if t-aking a last fond look ; and then, 

 as if thanking the Squire for his hospitality, sniifed the air, and 

 dashed off, with noble flight, in that direction indicated by the com- 

 pass as — due north. 



The Squire's vexation and disappointment can be better imagined 

 than described : suffice it to say, he never afterwards fed or fostered 

 wild-swans. 



Wild-swans which have been driven fi-om their northern quarters 

 by hard weather, return in herds about the month of April or May. 

 They are sometimes exposed to much persecution, in northern coun- 

 tries, during the time of their being unable to fly. They lose their 

 feathers in August, and for a few weeks are quite without the power 

 of flight : in this helpless condition, they are often pursued by the 

 natives ashore, and by sailors in boats, who fairly run them down, 

 chasing them to and fro until they are quite exhausted, and thus 

 become captives. 



In Kamtschatka, wild-swans are so common, both in winter and 

 summer, that at every entertainment, given by the poorest person, 

 the table is graced with one or more of these noble fowls. 



