116 THE SWAN SUPERIOR LONGEVITY. 



Clumber, the residence of the Duke of Newcastle, in 

 the course of a year or two ; but they are generally 

 reputed great destroyers of the young fry of fish. 



The antiquity of this delicate and stately bird, the 

 silent swan, is conspicuous in the pages of history 

 and of poetry. The prototype of the domesticated 

 breed has been probably lost in the lapse of time, 

 since the wild swans of all countries differ essentially 

 both in plumage and organic structure, from the 

 tame. The longevity of the swan seems to equal, if 

 not exceed, that of any other animal, as it is said to 

 live three centuries, a fact, which it seems strange, 

 and is to be regretted, has not been, correctly ascer- 

 tained in some of our great families of old, so ex- 

 tremely attached to this noble bird. Hence I beg 

 leave to recommend to the keepers and amateurs of 

 the swan, to open a stud-book, wherein a sufficient 

 number of individuals may be named and marked ; 

 and even that, extracts may be introduced into the 

 wills of present and succeeding proprietors, that our 

 posterity may be better informed on this branch of 

 natural history than ourselves. They are chiefly to 

 be found upon the Thames, and probably also, as 

 in former days, on the inlet of the sea, near Abbots- 

 bury, Dorset, and in the river Trent. Upon the 

 Avon, in Warwickshire, however, as I am informed 

 by a late sojourner in that vicinity, wild swans are 

 frequently seen ; they are in colour white and grey, 

 and in size smaller than the domesticated. They 

 are occasionally to be met with in the London mar- 

 kets of Leadenhall and Newgate, the asking price 

 at present five shillings each. Their skins only are 



