THE MUTE SWAN. 385 



through their youth of three long years' duration. Bright- 

 ness and clearness of the orange on the bill, and full develop- 

 ment of the knob or " berry/' indicate the complete maturity 

 of the bird. Supposing, however, the reader to have obtained 

 two Cygnets that are not mere friends, but actually husband 

 and wife, he will recollect that those reserved for fatting are 

 never pinioned, lest it should check their progress ; and he will 

 request the operation to be performed before he has them 

 home, in order that they may have the fewest possible disa- 

 greeable reminiscences connected with the spot where they 

 are to spend their lives. There are two ways of pinioning 

 birds; at the elbow joint, and at the wrist. The amputation 

 of the part of the wing which corresponds to our hand is quite 

 sufficient to prevent the flight of the short-winged species, as 

 far as migration is concerned, disfigures them less than the 

 closer pruning, and still leaves them the means of escape from 

 a dog or a poacher, allows them now and then in their gam- 

 bols to fancy they are free, and to enjoy a sort of half-run, 

 half-fly, from the lawn into the water. Kindness, comfort, 

 and good feeding must be employed to keep them at home as 

 far as possible; but the loss of the last joint only of the wing 

 will not be enough to prevent Swans from joining any travel- 

 ling companions who are on the way to the Artie circle. I 

 should recommend the female to be pinioned at the wrist, the 

 male at the elbow, trusting to their mutual attachment to keep 

 the less-maimed bird from deserting her mate. But however 

 it be done, let it be set about in a workmanlike manner; no 

 chopping nor hacking, nor hewing, nor butchering. Many 

 Cygnets are annually killed by the clumsy way in which their 

 wing is lopped off. They suffer from the shock to their nerv- 

 ous system as much as from haemorrhage. 



A skilful operator will feel for the joint, divide the skin, 

 and turn the bone neatly out of the socket. I will allow him 



33 



