TAME SWAN. 195 



entirely lose their spirits, become melancholy and dis- 

 eased, and are constantly making attempts to escajie. 

 It is, therefore, much better, whenever it is possible, 

 both with them and with the common sort of wild fowl, 

 to leave them at liberty upon a piece of water ; which, 

 if their number is at all considerable, they will always 

 keep open by their continual motion, without any risk 

 of freezing their feet. Swans kept in this manner 

 during the winter, are generally in much better con- 

 dition at the return of spring, than those which have 

 been confined to the house. During the greater part of 

 the year, they will feed upon those plants, roots, and 

 reptiles which are common to the sides of Avaters ; but 

 in winter they accommodate themselves to the same 

 sort of artificial diet as it is usual to give to ducks and 

 geese when under shelter. The nest of the swan is 

 composed externally of the rudest materials, but is 

 hned with the soft feathers and down of the parent 

 birds. The female selects the most . secluded situations 

 on the banks of those waters which she frequents : she 

 usually sits upon six or seven eggs, of a greyish colour, 

 early in the spring ; and when the young are hatched, 

 the parents carry them to the water upon their backs ; 

 and this is continued for two or three A^'eeks. Even 

 when able to shift for themselves, the young continue 

 with the parents until the next spring ; when they are 

 driven away by the old males. 



The docility and gentleness of the swan is well 

 known to all those who have witnessed the confiding 

 manner in which it will receive its food from the hand ; 

 but, if treated with wanton cruelty or harshness, it is 

 by no means a despicable enemy : the strength and 

 muscular power of its wings is very great, and might 

 endanger the fracture of a limb to those who wantonly 

 assail it. The males, at the breeding season, like all 

 other animals, whether docile or savage, when under 

 that particular influence, will fight desperately, and fre- 

 quently to the destruction of one of the combatants. 

 Dr. Latham affirms, that he has known full-grown boys 

 o 2 



