CHAPTER XVIII, 



WILD FOWL SHOOTING. 



SHOOTING THE WILD SWAN. 



" That lovely thing, 

 Oaring with rosy feet its silver boat." 



FOE many reasons, logical as well as fanciful, this 

 may be called " the poetry of sport." Poetry is 

 scarce far more rare than the journeymen of Par- 

 nassus have an idea and so is wild swan shooting ; 

 and can imagination conceive anything more sub- 

 limated above powder and patent shot work, in 

 general, than assisting at the obsequies of a prima 

 donna of the feathered choir, who pours out her life 

 in ravishing harmonies ? The reader, peradventure, 

 shall doubt the popular rumour, that this bird makes 

 her exit " to soft music: " presently we will deal with 

 his suspicion. 



It need hardly be premised, that the chances of 

 shooting wild swans are " few and far between," even 



