THE WILD, OR WHISTLING SWAX. 321 



in proportion, and more rounded. The trachea is very much 

 enlarged and convoluted. 



The wild swan is very abundant upon all the large rivers, 

 lakes, and extensive pools, in the more northern parts of 

 both continents, but it never breeds in the south, and rarely 

 migrates very far in that direction. It is, however, a dis- 

 cursive bird, and ranges seasonally over a great extent both 

 of sea and of land, and flocks assemble in Iceland and the 

 Faroe Islands in the early part of the season, some remain- 

 ing there ^to breed, and others dispersing farther to the 

 north, chiefly perhaps to the north of America, where they 

 are very abundant in the breeding season. They also 

 assemble again in the same places in the autumn, and 

 thence proceed southward, dividing into smaller parties as 

 they advance. Great numbers of them are often seen on 

 the lakes in the northern parts of Sutherland ; and report 

 adds that, in former times, they used to breed there as well 

 as in Orkney and Shetland, and in some of the more remote 

 and marshy of the Hebrides. Of late years, however, it does 

 not appear that many have been found breeding in those 

 localities, and the passing flocks are not so numerous now as 

 they are represented to have been in former times. 



When on the wing, these birds emit a sort of cry, which 

 is perhaps a little more sonorous than that of the wild goose, 

 but it is anything but musical, or even whistling, unless to 

 the same tune as a fitful and thumping wind whistles through 

 leafless trees or along broken crags, " Whoo, whoo :" hoarse, 

 long drawn out, and somewhat guttural, is the music of the 

 " tuneful swan." 



The nest is constructed in the same manner as that of the 

 tame swan ; the eggs are about the same number, or perhaps 

 rather fewer ; they are of a dull uniform greyish white, and 

 they require about the same time in hatching. 



The flesh of adult swans, whether tame or wild, is hard, 



VOL. II. Y 



