SWAN SHOOTING. 247 



fectly familiar with every note a swan is accustomed to 

 utter, but never before or since have I heard any like 

 those sung by this stricken bird. Most plaintive in 

 character and musical in tone, it sounded at times like 

 the soft running of the notes in an octave : 



" 'And now 'twas like all instruments, 

 Now like a lonely flute; 

 And now it is an angel's song 



Which makes the heavens be mute,' 



and as the sound was borne to us, mellowed by the dis- 

 tance, we stood astonished and could only exclaim : 

 'We have heard the song of the dying swan.' " 



Occasionally, if a cygnet should become separated 

 from the flock with which it has been feeding, it shows 

 itself very gentle, and can sometimes be called up to a 

 bunch of goose or even of duck decoys. I have seen 

 this happen, the bird coming in close to the water and 

 passing over the decoys. It then turned and flew over 

 them once again, when it was killed by the gunner. 



A wounded swan is very difficult to recover. These 

 birds cannot dive effectively, but can and do swim, so 

 as to lead the pursuing boat a long chase. When crip- 

 pled, they usually swim right up into the wind's eye, 

 and as they can swim faster than a boat can be rowed, 

 they often escape. 



The cygnets of both species of our swans are gray, 

 and these young birds should always be chosen when 

 the opportunity for a shot presents itself. Swan shoot- 

 ing, however, as already remarked, is largely a matter 



