LETTER UI. 



than the two latter are estimable oa accouat of their 

 utility. 



THE SWAN 



is the largest of British birds, and the most i^a/.'stic 

 and picturesque of all those tli.A sv\ l:a in the u 

 When it exhibits itself smoothly sailing along the 

 stream, displaying its graceful ving 



forward without the smallest eilort, a more beautiful 

 figure can scarcely be found within ttu. range of ani^ 

 mated nature* This elegant bird admits of two varieties, 

 the wild and the tame swan ; the former has a loud cry, 

 which may be heard to a great distance; but the iat- 

 tes seldom emits any sound. The wild swan is less 

 by about one-fourth, than the tame kind, and also of a 

 different colour, its back and the tips of its wings 

 being ash-coloured; while the .tarn? swan is remark- 

 able tor the delicate and uniform whiteness of its 

 whole pluniTge. In Cumberland county, in New- 

 Holland, black swans are very common, and three 

 of the species are now exhibited (181)6) at Exeter, 

 'Change, London. 



The wild swan is a native of the arctic regions, and 

 visits our more temperate climates only when com- 

 pelled by the severity of the cold. Daring the sum- 

 mer season they frequent the lakes of Lap'land in ; 

 common with the numerous flocks of other aquatic 

 fowl; there, also -it breeds and rears its young. Of 

 the tame swan any minute description is unneces- 

 sary : to give some idea of its size it is sufficient to . 

 say that it grows to the weight of upwards of twenty 

 pounds. Its majestic appearance has been already- 

 noticed; and it is not less reinarkable for the delicacy 

 of its appetite than the elegance of its form: its 

 food consists of corn, with Kerbs and roots that grow 

 in the water, or are .found near the margin... It pre- - 

 pares its nest, in some retired part of the bank or in 

 some islet in the stream, and lays seven or eight eggs, . 

 white, and much longer than those of the goose. It 

 sits two months, and the young, when first excluded, . 

 are ash-coloured, and are some months befoi;e they , 



