STOEIES ABOUT BIRDS. 173 



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t &mm. 



EOBABLY there are very few of my 

 readers wlio have ever seen a swan. 

 They are not very common in this 

 y country. I have never seen more than 

 / tAVO or three hve swans in my life. 

 When saihng on the water, its favorite ele- 

 ment, the swan is a beautiful bird, and its 

 motions are graceful. But when walking on 

 land, it is exceedingly clumsy and awkward 

 in its gait. 



In a wild state, swans abound in the eastern 

 portions of Europe. In Siberia, and on the 

 shores of the Caspian Sea, there are great 

 multitudes of them. It is a gentle and inno- 

 cent bird, ordinarily ; but it is a formidable 

 enemy when driven to act on the defensive. 

 It has great strength in its wings. When pro- 

 tecting its young, it has often been known to 



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