AMERICAN SWAN. 189 



i 



cipally within the arctic circle, and in its migrations 

 generally precedes the geese a few days. 



It is, with the exception of the eagles, the earliest of 

 all the migratory birds in spring. It arrives in the fur 

 countries earlier than the Canada goose, and frequents the 

 eddies under waterfalls, and other spots of open water until 

 the frozen rivers and lakes break up. They are met with 

 both in the interior and on the sea-coast, sometimes in small 

 flocks, but more frequently in pairs. The skins are an im- 

 portant article of commerce in the Hudson's Bay territory. 



The American Swan (Cygnus Americanus} is also quite 

 distinct from any of the swans of Europe. It is less 

 common than the above, and somewhat smaller, but still 

 of splendid proportions, its length being about four feet 

 six inches, and its average weight twenty-one [pounds. 

 The bill and fore part of the head are black, with a 

 space of orange at the base of the former. The head 

 is tinged with yellowish red, but the rest of the plumage 

 is perfectly white. The female is of similar plumage, 

 though smaller in size. The legs and feet are black in 

 both. The young birds are of a bluish tint, with the 

 bill and feet light coloured. 



The food of the swan is entirely vegetable, consisting 

 principally of the roots and stems of water-plants ; and 

 the St. Glair Marshes may be named as one of its 

 favourite haunts within Canadian territory. 



