WILD FOWL. 49 



have been seen following the coast in but very few instances. 

 They arrive at their winter homes in October and November, 

 and immediately take possession of their regular feeding grounds. 

 They generally reach these places in the night, and the first sig- 

 nal of their arrival at their winter abode is a general burst of 

 melody, making the shores ring for several hours with their vo- 

 ciferating congratulations, while making amends for a long fast, 

 and pluming their deranged feathers. From these localities 

 they rarely depart, unless driven farther south by intensely cold 

 weather, until their vernal excui-sion. When the spring arrives, 

 a similar collection of forces as at the north, takes place in 

 March, and after disturbing the tranquil bosom of the water for 

 a night, by incessant washing and dressing, and alarming the 

 quiet neighborhood by a constant clatter of consulting tongues, 

 they depart for the north about daylight with a general Jeu-de-joie 

 of unmusical screams. 



" The Chesapeake Bay is a great resort for Swans during the 

 winter, and whilst there they foiTn collections of from one to five 

 hundreds on the flats near the western shores, and extend from 

 the outlet of the Susquehanna River almost to the Rip-Raps. 

 The connecting streams also present fine feeding grounds. They 

 always select places where they can reach their food by the 

 length of their necks, as they have never, so far as I can learn, 

 been seen in this part of the world to dive under water, either 

 for food or safety. Hearne says that, at Hudson's Bay, ' by 

 diving and other manoeuvres it is impossible to take them by 

 hand while moulting.' I have often seated myself for hours 

 within a short distance of several hundred Swans, to watch their 

 habits and manners, and never saw one pass entirely under 

 the water, though they will keep the head beneath the surface 

 for five minutes at a time. 



" The food they are most partial to is the canvass-back grass 

 — Valisneria Americana — worms, insects, and shell-fish; never, 

 I believe, touching fish, however hardly pressed for support. 

 The G-eese and Swans frequently feed, but never fly, together. 



" These birds are so exceedingly watchful, that if there are 



