WILD FOWL. 53 



guns were discharged, and three Swans were killed, and the 

 fourth so much injured that he left the flock and reached the 

 water at a short distance in the bay ; but it being nearly dark 

 his direction was lost. These, with another that had been killed 

 within an hour, and three which were subsequently obtained, 

 were all of less than five years of age, and averaged a weight of 

 eighteen pounds. 



" The Swans never leave the open shores of the bay for the 

 side streams, and the Geese rarely through the day, though they 

 often retire to the little inlets to roost or feed at night. Few of 

 these large game are found, after their regular settlement above 

 Spesutic Island, but lie on the flats in mingled masses of from 

 fifty to a hundred, down the western shores, even as far as the 

 Potomac. During a still night, a few Swans may often be seen 

 asleep in the middle of the bay, surrounded by a group of far 

 more watchful Geese; and the writer paddled at day-break one 

 morning to within ten feet of an enormous sleeping Swan, who 

 had probably depended for alarm on the wary Geese by which 

 lie had been surrounded, but which, as we approached, swam 

 away. By an unforeseen occun'ence, when a few seconds more 

 would have enabled us to stun him by a blow, he became 

 alarmed, and started in a direction that prevented a probable 

 chance of killing, from our position and the totteiing nature of 

 the skifil" — Atiduhon's Birds of America. 



THE TRUMPETER SWAN. 

 Cygnus Buccinator ; Richardson. 



"Adult, 68; wing, 27; young, 52|, 91. 



" Breeds from North California; northward. Fur Countries. 

 Abundant during the winter on the Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, 

 and in Texas. Never seen eastward of South Carolina. 



" Adult male : 



" Bill longer than the head, higher than broad at the base, 



