WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



curing to hide herself. When she found that I had discover- 

 ed her she again made off, but was soon caught. 



I mention this for the benefit of any one who may be in 

 the predicament of having winged a swan on a lake, as this 

 bird, if left alone and not seeing an enemy, will invariably 

 make for the bank, and most probably leave the water to 

 follow in the track of her companions if they have gone to 

 any adjoining water. 



Though, as I have said, not so graceful in the water as 

 their tame relatives, nothing can be more splendid than the 

 flight of a flock of wild swans, as they pass over your head 

 with their transparently white pinions, and uttering their 

 far-sounding and musical trumpeting, which is often heard 

 before the birds come into sight. 



I never ate a wild swan, but am told that their flesh, though 

 dark coloured has not the least rank taste, like that of some 

 water-fowl, but, on the contrary, is very palatable, and wor- 

 thy of being cooked. Fromtheir food, which consists wholly 

 of flavourless grasses, I can easily suppose that they may 

 be asgood,if notbettereatingthan the mallard or any other 

 kind of wild duck, who all, more or less, feed on rank weeds, 

 as well as on worms and a variety of other unclean food. 



,. , •^ jo. f>isUii$-^.»fy •»*- 



