MUTE SWAN. 213 



to impede their course. A short quotation from the first 

 volume of " Gleanings in Natural History," by Mr. Jes^e, 

 corroborates several points in the habits of this bird. 

 " Living on the banks of the Thames, I have often been 

 pleased with seeing the care taken of the young Swans by 

 the parent birds. Where the stream is strong, the old 

 Swan will sink herself sufficiently low to bring her back on 

 a level with the water, when the cygnets will get upon it, 

 and in this manner are conveyed to the other side of the 

 river, or into stiller water. Each family of Swans on the 

 river has its own district ; and if the limits of that district 

 are encroached upon by other Swans, a pursuit immedi- 

 ately takes place, and the intruders are driven away. Ex- 

 cept in this instance, they appear to live in a state of the 

 most perfect harmony. The male is very attentive to the 

 female, assists in making the nest, and when a sudden rise 

 of the river takes place, joins her with great assiduity in 

 raising the nest sufficiently high to prevent the eggs being 

 chilled by the action of the water, though sometimes its 

 rise is so rapid, that the whole nest is washed away and 

 destroyed." 



The family continue to associate through the winter, but 

 under the influence of returning spring the parent birds 

 drive away from them the young brood of the previous 

 year, and oblige them to shift for themselves. Their food 

 consists of the softer parts of water plants, roots, aquatic 

 insects, and occasionally small fish : a Swan has been seen 

 to eat a small roach ; they also eat grain and bread. 



The Swan being identified with Orpheus, and called also 

 the Bird of Apollo, the god of music, powers of song have 

 been often attributed to it, and as often denied. It is, 

 however, perfectly true that this bird has a soft low voice, 

 rather plaintive, and with little variety, but not disagree- 

 able. I have heard it often in the spring, and sometimes 



