208 THE SWAN. 



and strike with such force with the wings as to beat a 

 person to the ground, or break his leg, or arm. 



One of these birds, while sitting on her nest, observ- 

 ed a fox swimming towards her. She instantly darted 

 into the water, swam out to him, and commenced the 

 attack. The fox tried every way to gain the shore, 

 where he could defend himself to better advantage ; 

 but the Swan beat him with her wings with such 

 force, that he could neither swim forward, nor keep 

 his head above the water ; and she finally succeeded 

 in drowning him, on the spot. After this, in the sight 

 of several persons who saw the battle, she returned 

 to her nest in triumph. 



The Swan sits two months on her eggs, and the 

 birds are a year in growing to their full size. They 

 live to a very great age. Dr. Goldsmith thinks that 

 the common goose will live a hundred years, and says 

 that it is not improbable the Swan may live much 

 longer. 



These birds were formerly held in such high esti- 

 mation in England, that king Edward the Fourth 

 passed a law, forbidding any person, not of the royal 

 family, to keep Swans, unless he was a gentleman by 

 l&rtb, and had a certain income per year. By another 

 law, made afterwards, the punishment for stealing the 

 eggs of this bird, was imprisonment for one year and 

 a day, and in addition to this, a fine according to the 

 king's will. 



