ity." Goldsmith's own belief was that every note that constituted melody, and 

 the ancients had some mythological have often been sorry that it did not fore- 

 meaning in ascribing melody to the swan, bode their death." 



"and as for the moderns, they scarcely de- Aldrovand, referring to the structure 

 serve our regard. The swan must, there- of the organs of voice as countenancing 

 fore, be content with that share of fame the poetical creed of the singing swan, 

 that it possesses on the score of its beau- says, "For when we observe the great 

 ty, since the melody of its voice, without variety of modulations which can be pro- 

 better testimony, will scarcely be admitted duced from a military trumpet, and, going 

 by even the credulous." upon the axiom that Nature does nothing 



This better testimony is furnished by in vain, compare the form of such a trum 



Charles de Kay, who says that modern pet with the more ingenious mechanism 



bird-lovers have heard the swans of Rus- of a swan's windpipe, we cannot but con- 



sia singing their own dirge in the North, elude that this instrument is at least capa- 



when, having lingered too long before mi- ble of producing the sounds which have 



gration, reduced in strength by lack of been described by the ancient authors." 



food, and frozen fast to the ice where they I n distinguishing between the Whis- 



have rested over night, they clang their tling and Tame or Mute Swans, Bingley 



lives out, even as the ancients said. describes this strange form of windpipe, 



Inasmuch as we have record of the "Which falls into the chest, then turns 



Singing, or Whistling Swan from Egypt back like a trumpet, and afterwards makes 



to Alaska and the Aleutian Isles, with a second bend to join the lungs. The 



testimony of modern scientists as well as curve being inside the neck of the 



ancient poets in proof of the vocality of Whistler or Hooper, instead of being an 



this, the largest of singing birds, the external adornment, as in the case of the 



question becomes one of quality of song graceful Mute, in whom 



rather than of the actuality of the song 'Behold! Tlie mantling spirit of reserve 



itself. M. Montbeillard's opinion of the Fashion his neck into a goodly curve, 



whistler's vocal exertions is thus ex- An arch thrown back between luxuriant 



pressed: "The bursts of its voice form wings 



a sort of modulated song, yet the shrill Of whitest garniture, like fir-tree boughs, 

 and scarcely diversified notes of -its loud To wnicn ' on *> m unruffled morning, clings 

 clarion sounds differ widely from the ten- A d kv wei ^ nt of ****** *> urest snows ~ 

 der melody, the sweet, brilliant variety of while with the Musical Swan the gift of 

 our birds of song." And M. Morin even voice is balanced by a corresponding de 

 composed a memoir, entitled "Why traction from personal appearance; for 

 swans that sang so well in ancient times the straight neck and smaller stature im- 

 now sing so badly." It is probable that part, we are told (alas !), a certain goose- 

 the ancients, with due consideration for like suggestion." 



the difference in size between the swan This aesthetic obstacle is, however, suc- 



and all other songsters, may have also cessfully surmounted by the fact that their 



given consideration in the same ratio to songs are uttered mostly at night, when 



the theory of the enchantment that dis- flying far overhead in the darkness ; but 



tance lends ; and it is more than probable there is no help for the statement of Al- 



that all of this confusion of testimony re- bertus Magnus, which must needs be 



suited from confusion of species ; for, as taken for better or for worse, that "When 



Charles de Kay explains, observations of swans fight, they hiss and emit a sort of 



the Mute Swan caused people to assign bombilation, not unlike the braying of an 



the song of the dying swan to the most ass, but not so much prolonged." 



fabulous of fables ; while Hearne, who ob- The Abbe Arnaud, whose observations 



served the Trumpeter, makes the follow- were said to be very minute, completes the 



ing vigorous statement: "I have heard list of odious comparisons as follows: 



them in serene evenings, after sunset, "One can hardly say that the swans ^of 



make a noise not very unlike that of a Chantilly sing; they cry, but their cries 



French horn, but entirely divested of are truly and constantly modulated ; their 



139 



