THE SWAN. 393 



laid entirely bare to the very bone, and feathers and 

 skin stripped off, by an angry stroke on the gunwale of 

 a boat, which it fiercely endeavoured to board, we think 

 it not impossible. At all events, a blow of its wing can 

 be inflicted to good and fatal effect, in case of necessity, 

 as a crafty fox, wishing for a feast of Swan's eggs, found 

 to his cost. The female was sitting on her nest at one 

 side of a river, when she observed a fox swimming from 

 the opposite shore : rightly judging that she could en- 

 counter the enemy with much better chance of success- 

 on water than on land, instead of retreating, she boldly 

 advanced to meet him, and, dashing forwards, so battered 

 him with her wings, that he was soon killed, in the sight 

 of several persons who saw the combat. 



Besides the Swans above mentioned, there is another 

 peculiar to Australia or New Holland, entirely black ; 

 but, as they are tolerably hardy, it is not improbable 

 that they may, in the course of a few years, be natu- 

 ralized in England, and form an additional ornament to 

 the rivers and lakes of our parks and pleasure-grounds. 

 We have already noticed the peculiar manner adopted 

 by young Coots for concealing themselves under water ; 

 and it has been ascertained, by those who have had 

 opportunities of observing the habits of the Black Swan 

 in its wild and natural state, that although it cannot 

 dive, it contrives to immerse itself so deep in the water 

 as to render its body nearly invisible, and thus avoid 

 detection. 



We have already noticed the trade carried on in 

 Goose quills; those of Swans being of course propor- 

 tionably larger, and less common, are still in request 

 and preferred by some; consequently a considerable 

 number find their way into the market, and fetch high 

 prices. One of the principal sources of this trade is on 

 the coast of the Black Sea, at its north-western extremity, 

 in the neighbourhood of Kinbourn, a Russian fortress, 

 nearly opposite to Oczakof, at the point of a tongue of 

 land, deeply indented with creeks and bays ; and, as the/ 



