irnns. 407 



ascends from its favourite element, its motions are awkward, and 

 its neck is stretched forward with an air of stupidity ; but when 

 it is seen smoothly sailing along the water, commanding a thou- 

 sand graceful attitudes, moving at pleasure without the smalles* 



the second year their plumage becomes lighter, and their bill and legs as- 

 sume a yellowish tinge ; in the third ye;ir they put on the adult plumage 

 and colouring of the naked parts. 



The wild birds of this species, like most of the waterfowl, are migratory 

 in their habits. In the temperate regions of Europe they begin to absent 

 themselves in October, and return towards the end of March to the quaiter? 

 which they occupied in th.e preceding year. But when the winter is not 

 particularly severe, they frequently remain through it, seeking for shelter 

 among the dams and sluices of the rivers, and returning to their former 

 quarters at the breaking of the frost. The females choose for their nestling- 

 place the least frequented situations on the banks of the rivers or lakes 

 which they inhabit, and build their nests in the rudest manner of twigs and 

 reeds, lined with a comfortable coating of their breast feathers. They lay 

 six or eight grayish eggs, and sit for five we«;ks, generally in April and 

 May. 



Although naturally one of the most gentle and inoffensive of birds, the 

 large size and great muscular power of the swan render it a formidable ene- 

 my when driven to extremity, and compelled to act on the defensive. In 

 such a case it is said to give battle to the eagle, and frequently even to re- 

 pel his attack, forcing him to seek his safety in flight. It never attempts to 

 molest any of the smaller waterfowl that inhabit its domains ; but in the 

 season of its amours it will not sufi'er a rival to approach its retreat without 

 n sanguinary struggle, in which one or other is generally destroyed. It is 

 said to attain a very great age, thirty years being cimimonly spoken of a.s 

 the term of its existence. It is even asserted that in Alkmar, a town in the 

 north of Holland, there died, in the year 1072, a swan belonging to the mu- 

 nicipality, which bore on its collar the date 157:3, and must consequently 

 Iiave been a century old ; and several other instances of a similar nature 

 have been related by authors. We must confess, however, that we enter- 

 tain strong doubts of the authenticity of such statements, founded merely or 

 popular trfidilion and unsupported by atiy positive evidence. 



ITie JVild Swan, or, as it is not unfrequently termed, the Hooper, is a na. 

 tive of nearly the whole northern hemisphere. In the Old World it passes 

 northwards as far as Iceland and Kamschatka, skirting the borders of tins 

 Arctic Circle, but rarely entering within its limits. Those which inhabit 

 Europe generally pass the winter in its more southern regions, and even 

 extend their flight to Egypt and IJarbary ; while tlie Asiatic birds seem 

 rarely to pjuss much farther south than tlie shores of the Caspian and Black 

 Sejus. In America the range of their migrations is bounded by Hudsou's 

 Bay on the iiortli, and Louisiana and the Carolinas on the south. They are 

 «xtremely abundant in the northern parts of the New Continent and in Si- 

 beria ; and in many districts of Russia they take the place of that Wniih i3 

 Improperly termed the Tame .specieH, submitting themselves with equal 

 readiness to the process of domestication. 



The external difl'ereuces between these two 6vvan<. are not at*fir.st ^i/,'llt 



