WILD FOWL. 



45 



WILD FOWL 



WILD SWANS. 



THE AMERICAN WILD SWAN. 



Cygnus Americanus — Sharpless. — American Journal of Sciences 

 and Arts. 



" Male, 53.84. 



" Common during winter, in the middle Atlantic districts 

 especially on Chesapeake Bay. Not seen south of Carolina. 

 Columbia river ; breeds in the Fur Countries. 



" Adult male : 



"Bill rather longer than the head, large, higher than broad at 

 the base, gradually becoming more depressed. Upper mandi- 

 ble with the dorsal line concave at the commencement, then 

 descending and very slightly convex to beyond the nostrils, at 

 the end decurved ; the ridge broad and flat at the base, gradu- 

 ally narrowed, convex toward the end, the sides nearly 

 erect, and somewhat concave at the base, gradually sloping, 

 and toward the end convex, the margins nearly parallel until 

 toward the end, when they widen a little ; the tip rather ab- 

 ruptly rounded, unguis truncate, obovate. Nostril medial, 

 elliptical, direct, near the ridge ; nasal gi'oove elliptical. Lower 

 mandible flattened, slightly recurved ; the angle long and rather 

 narrow, the edges parallel, the tip truncate, the unguis some- 

 what triangular. 



" Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck very 

 long and slender. Body -very large. Feet short, stout, placed 



