SWANS AT LALEHAM. 77 



leaving no balance behind. The water-bailiff 

 at Laleham has done his best to drive them 

 off, and although he may succeed in getting 

 them down a mile or two, they are back 

 again directly his back is turned, with 

 perhaps three or four more of their kind, 

 politely (it may be) invited to the feast, or 

 attracted, not unlikely, by the spawn around 

 their gourmandising bills. I, therefore, infer 

 that unless powers be given to the bailiffs to 

 use more than gentle means, the London 

 City Companies must lie under the impu- 

 tation that they are permitting these Dandos 

 of spawn to eat and waste that which in 

 common honesty they cannot but conscien- 

 tiously acknowledge to be the property of 

 others. GEEYILLE F." 



" I think I can bear testimony to swans 



