2ioo FLAMINGOES, DUCKS, AND SCREAMERS 



the Cape Colony. Going about either singly or in pairs, the Egyptian goose fre- 

 quents both rapid running streams and pools and lakes; and its nest may be situated 

 either on dry land or among long swampy grass in the Zambezi district. Further 

 north these birds have, however, been known to rear their young on ledges of 

 steep cliffs. The young brood leave their parents as soon as they are strong enough 

 to fly. When on the wing, a loud, harsh, grating noise, which has been compared 

 to the bark of a dog is continually uttered. This goose has been more or less com- 

 pletely acclimatized in England, where it may not unfrequently be seen on orna- 

 mental waters; and in confinement it has bred with several other members of the 

 family, among them the spur- winged goose. The flesh is superior in quality to 

 that of the latter species. The windpipe of the male is peculiar in having a large 

 bony capsule on the left side of its lower extremity. 



So indissolubly was the attribute of whiteness connected among the 

 ancients with the swans, that the idea of a black swan, as expressed 

 in the well-known line, rara avis in terris, nigroque simillima cygno, was considered 

 a mere flight of the poetic imagination. Nevertheless, not only does a black swan 

 exist, but a second species is remarkable for having a black head and neck and a 

 white body. The swans, all of which may be included in the single genus Cygnus, 

 are readily defined as members of the present family characterized by their 

 exceedingly-long necks, their naked lores, the simple first toe, and the metatarsus 

 reticulated and shorter than the third toe with the claw. The group as thus defined, 

 indicates not only a genus, but likewise a distinct subfamily. All these birds are of 

 large size, and have the flexible and slender neck as long as or longer than the body; 

 while the beak exceeds the head in length, and has its edges parallel, and the termi- 

 nal nail small. The tail feathers vary from twenty to twenty-four in number; and, 

 with the exception of the black Australian swan, the plumage is entirely or mainly 

 white in the adult state. The two sexes are nearly alike; and there is but a single 

 molt. Swans, of which there are comparatively-few species, are distributed over 

 the greater part of the world except Africa south of the Sahara, North Australia, 

 and the northern districts of South America. The gracefulness of their form, and 

 especially the beautiful curving of the neck, is proverbial; and they are all birds of 

 powerful flight, more aquatic in their habits than the geese, but also walking well 

 on land. Frequenting lakes and other inland waters in summer, they often seek 

 the sea in winter; but while some prefer open waters, others, like Bewick's swan, 

 rather favor marshes and narrow rivers. Their food consists of the seeds, stems, 

 and roots of flags and other water plants, supplemented by insects and mollusks. 

 All the white swans are migratory, and during their migrations fly both by night 

 and day. Like the geese, they are more or less gregarious, especially during the 

 winter, and they also resemble those birds in pairing apparently for life. Their 

 large untid}^ nests are placed on the ground, often among tussocks of coarse grass, 

 and contain from three to eight dull whitish eggs. As a rule, the young birds have 

 feathered lores, and a grayish-brown plumage. The call note is loud and trumpet- 

 like. 



At least two species of swans are winter visitants to the British Islands, while 

 a third occurs in a domesticated state, although probably a few wild individuals 



