46 Age-'Habils, ^c. 



probably also, as in former days, on the 

 inlet of the sea, near Abbotsbury, Dorset, 

 and in the river Trent. Their flesh is no 

 longer in request as food, with the excep- 

 tion, perhaps, that formerly cygnets, or 

 young swans, were fattened at Norwich for 

 the Christmas feast, and commanded the 

 price of one guinea each. 



The swan feeds like the goose, and has 

 the same familiarity with its keepers, kindly 

 and eagerly receiving bread which is offer- 

 ed, although it is a bird of courage equal 

 to its apparent pride, and both the cock and 

 hen are extremely dangerous to approach 

 during incubation, or whilst their brood is 

 young, as they have sufficient muscular 

 force to break a man's arm with a stroke 

 of their wing. They both labour hard in 

 forming a nest of water plants, long grass, 

 and sticks, generally in some retired part or 

 inlet of the bank of the stream, or piece of 

 water on which they are kept. The hen be- 

 gins to lay in February, producing an egg 

 every other day, until she has deposited 

 seven or eight, on which she sits six we^ks, 



