MUTE SWAN. 209 



pleased with seeing the care taken of the young Swans by 

 the parent birds. Where the stream is strong the old 

 Swan will sink herself sufficiently low to bring her back on 

 a level with the water, when the cygnets will get upon it, 

 and in this manner are conveyed to the other side of the 

 river, or into stiller water. Each family of Swans on the 

 river has its own district ; and if the limits of that district 

 are encroached upon by other Swans, a pursuit immediate- 

 ly takes place, and the intruders are driven away. Except 

 in this instance, they appear to live in a state of the most 

 perfect harmony. The male is very attentive to the female, 

 assists in making the nest, and when a sudden rise of the 

 river takes place, joins her with great assiduity in raising 

 the nest sufficiently high to prevent the eggs being chilled 

 by the action of the water, though sometimes its rise is so 

 rapid, that the whole nest is washed away and destroyed. 11 



The family continue to associate through the winter, but 

 under the influence of returning spring the parent birds 

 drive away from them the young brood of the previous 

 year and oblige them to shift for themselves. Their food 

 consists of the softer parts of water plants, roots, aquatic 

 insects, and occasionally small fish : a Swan has been seen 

 to eat a small roach ; they also eat grain and bread. 



The Swan being identified with Orpheus, and called also 

 the Bird of Apollo, the god of music, powers of song have 

 been often attributed to it, and as often denied. It is, 

 however, perfectly true that this bird has a soft low voice, 

 rather plaintive and with little variety, but not disagree- 

 able. I have heard it often in the spring, and sometimes 

 later in the season, when moving slowly about with its 

 young. Colonel Hawker, in his sporting work, at page 

 261, has printed a few bars of the " Swan's melody, formed 

 with two notes, C and the minor third (E flat), and the 



VOL. in. p 



