486 ANSERID^E. 



Iceland, the summer resort of these birds, they are much 

 sought after for the sake of their down. In the month of 

 August, when the old birds, having cast their quill-feathers, 

 are unable to fly, the natives assemble in bodies in the 

 places where the Swans collect, and mounted on small but 

 active horses chase them through the marshes, and ride 

 many of them down ; but the greater number are caught by 

 the dogs, which always seize the birds by the neck, and so 

 encumber them, that they are then easily overtaken. But 

 it is not the habit of Swans to remain much on land ; the 

 perfect ease with which they float and swim indicates that 

 the water is their element, and a glance at their long necks 

 tells at once that their nature is to feed in shallow water 

 or on the margin of deep lakes, where with their strong 

 bills they either tear up the stems and roots of aquatics 

 from the bottom, or crop at their pleasure from the banks. 

 To this kind of food they add such insects, mollusks and 

 worms, as come within their reach ; and (when sailing in 

 salt water) sea-weeds, and especially the long, ribbon-like 

 leaves of zostera. During summer they frequent the 

 most secluded swamps and lakes in the wooded districts 

 of the North, and build a very large nest in a spot unap- 

 proachable by human feet. A few go no farther north than 

 the Orkneys and Shetlands, but their head-quarters are 

 Siberia, Iceland, Lapland, and Hudson's Bay. 



After they have recovered from their summer moult, 

 they migrate southwards, and arrive in Scotland, some- 

 times in large flocks, early in October. Mr. St. John, in 

 his " Wild Sports of the Highlands," gives an interesting 

 account of their habits while in this country. He went 

 in pursuit of a flock which had selected for their winter 

 feeding-place some fresh-water lochs about half a mile 

 from the sea. They passed the day mostly on the salt 

 water, and in the evening came inland to feed. He found 

 them on one of the smaller lochs, some standing high and 

 dry on the grassy islands, trimming their feathers after 



