84 ANATID^E 



bones and muscles, nor do I know of a single instance of 

 fracture resulting from such violence. I have known a 

 furious old male Swan to knock a small boy head over heels 

 into the water just as he retreated across a little narrow 

 bridge connecting an island in an artificial lake with the 

 lawn. The intruder thought to steal an egg from the 

 Swans' nest during their absence, and to return to the land 

 in safety, but in vain, for the male was awaiting the return 

 of the plunderer across the bridge, while the female was 

 fast approaching on the water. With the assistance of two 

 men and a rope the boy was quickly landed, and, although 

 repeatedly struck on the arms and legs, he did not sustain 

 a fracture. 



Flight. The flight resembles that of the two preceding 

 species but is less buoyant. 



Voice. The term ' mute ' is hardly a correct one to 

 apply to this species. In the pairing-season it often utters 

 a loud trumpeting note, moreover it hisses like a snake if 

 disturbed while incubating. 



Food. The food consists of various kinds of water- 

 plants ; insects and grain are also eaten. 



Nest. The nest is a bulky structure, made up of various 

 kinds of coarse herbage ; it is usually built on islands of 

 inland waters. The eggs are greenish-white in colour. 

 The shell is of rough texture, and the clutch ranges from 

 three to ten. Incubation begins in May. 



Mr. Ussher states that he has " seen an incompleted 

 clutch of five eggs nicely covered with down and rubbish 

 when the birds were off them." The cygnets (young swans) 

 are very carefully tended by their parents. The Mute 

 Swan pairs for life. 



Geographical distribution. In a thoroughly wild state 

 this species has a wide distribution as a breeding-bird in 

 Europe. It nests in Denmark, in South Sweden, Central 

 and Southern Russia, extending southward to the lakes 

 of Greece, the Black and Caspian Seas. In winter it 

 migrates to the waters of North Africa and Central Asia 

 as well as to Europe. In addition to the British Isles it 

 breeds in many parts of Germany in a semi-domesticated 

 condition. 



