AQUATIC FOWLS. 



235 



wind upon our little boat, and they generally 

 succeeded when the breeze was strong, and 

 sometimes escaped from our shot also." 



"The black swans of New Holland," says 

 Mowbray, "I have not hitherto had the op- 

 portunity of seeing. They were introduced in 

 this country some years since, but I believe the 

 number bred or remaining is very small. They 

 tire said to degenerate here as to size, yet the 

 imported individuals, it seems, were no larger 

 than our indigenous breed. There is said by 

 naturalists to be some disparity between the 

 wild and tame black swan in respect to the 

 bill and organization of the bones. Hence, 

 probably, they form different species of the 

 same genus." 



"It is strange," says Dixon, "that their 

 price should still continue so high, as they 



breed in this country, frequently though not 

 abundantly, under circumstances that must be 

 considered unfavorable. We suspect, from the 

 localities in Australia where they were orig- 

 inally found, that they would be all the better 

 for occasional marine diet, and, like the shel- 

 drake, enjoy now and then a treat of cockles 

 and shrimps, with perhaps a barrowful of sea- 

 weed as the joint on which to cut and come 

 again." 



For those to whom the amount of purchase 

 money is of little importance, the black swan is, 

 beyond all question, the bird to place, as a fin- 

 ishing stroke of art, on the smooth lake or sheet 

 of water which expands before our mansions. 

 Its superb beauty, its gentle manners, is unde- 

 niable and acknowledged, and, indeed, altogeth- 

 er taking in its ways. 



