50 FRANK forester's FIELD SPORTS. 



but three of tliem feeding together, one will generally be on 

 guai'd, and when danger approaches there is some mute sign of 

 alaiTn, for I have never heard a sound at such times. 



" However much noise has been made before, the instant an 

 alarm occurs there is perfect silence, their heads are erected, a 

 moment's examination determines their course, when, if the case 

 be not too urgent, they depend on swimming if escape be neces- 

 sary. They rarely fly even from the pursuit of a boat, unless 

 very closely followed, and when they do arise from the water, 

 either for escape or from choice, it is generally with a scream, 

 and when alighting particularly among others, there is usually 

 a ' how dye do' sort of expression on all sides. Even when 

 wing-broke they can swim with great rapidity, and if not other- 

 wise hurt, a single oarsman in the best constructed boat, can 

 rarely overtake them, 



" Whilst feeding and dressing. Swans make much noise, and 

 through the night their vociferations can be heard for several 

 miles. Their notes are extremely varied, some closely resem- 

 bling the deepest base of the common tin-horn, whilst others 

 run through every modulation of false note of the French-horn 

 or clarionet. Whether this difference of note depends on age or 

 sex I am not positively assured. 



" The Swan requires five or six years to reach its perfect ma- 

 turity of size and plumage, the yearling cygnet being about one- 

 third the magnitude of the adult, and having feathers of a deep 

 leaden color. The smallest Swan I have ever examined, and it 

 was killed in my presence, weighed but eight pounds. Its 

 plumage was very deeply tinted, and it had a bill of a very beau- 

 tiful flesh-color, and very soft. This cygnet, I presume, was a 

 yearling, for I killed one myself the same day, whose feathers 

 were less dark, but whose bill was of a dirty-white ; and the bird 

 weighed twelve pounds. This happened at a time when my 

 attention was not turned scientifically to the subject, and I have 

 forgotten the other singularities of the specimens. By the third 

 year the bill becomes black, and the color of the plumage less 

 intense, except on the top of the head and the back part of the 



