CHAPTER 1h. 
Swans. 
Only two Swans are known to occur within our limits, 
and of these one is rare, and the other has only been 
found twice, so that a Swan is not a very probable item 
in an ordinary bag. 
In addition to their large size and very long necks, 
Swans possess the following noticeable characters :— 
Their beak is very much like that of an ordinary Duck 
in form, long, parallel-sided and flat, with the ordinary 
ridges along the sides, and a moderate-sized “ nail.’”’ 
The space between the eye and bill (Joves) is bare in 
full-grown birds, and forms a noticeable peculiarity. 
The head is comparatively small, the body large and the 
wings broad ; the legs are set far back, with short shanks 
and large feet, the middle toe being longer than the 
shank, and the outer toe also long. 
Swans are essentially surface-water-birds ; they do not 
frequent the land much, and when there walk ungrace- 
fully ; on the water they swim well and strongly, but do 
not dive (at any rate as far as I have seen) ; by means of 
their length of neck they can reach food some distance 
below the surface. The tame species, and no doubt the 
wild ones also, will turn ‘‘ end up ’’ like a Duck when 
feeding in deeper water than the length of the neck is 
sufficient to fathom. They rise with difficulty, running 
along the water for some distance, but when well on the 
wing fly faster than they appear to do. In their food, 
Swans are omnivorous, like Ducks, devouring small 
aquatic animals, fish, spawn, grain, and green land and 
water herbage, especially the latter. 
