AMERICAN SWAN. 137 



though they will keep the head beneath the surface for five minutes at 

 a time. 



" The. food they are most partial to, is the canvass-back grass ( Valis- 

 neria Americana), worms, insects, and shell-fish, never, I believe, touch- 

 ing fish, however hardly pressed for support. The Geese and Swans 

 frequently feed, but never fly, together. 



" These birds are so exceedingly watchful, that if there are but three 

 of them feeding together, one will generally be on guard, and, when 

 danger approaches, there is some mute sign of alarm, for I have never 

 heard a sound at such times. 



" However much noise has been made before, the instant an alarm 

 occurs, there is perfect silence, their heads are erected, a moment's ex- 

 amination determines the course, when, if the case be not too urgent, 

 they depend on swimming, if escape be necessary. They rarely fly 

 even from the pursuit of a boat, unless very closely followed, and when 

 they do arise from the water, either for escape or from choice, it is 

 generally with a scream, and when alighting, particularly if among 

 others, there is usually a " how d'ye do" sort of expression on all sides. 

 Even when wing-broken, these birds can swim with great rapidity, and 

 if not otherwise hiurt, a single oarsman in the best constructed boat 

 can rarely overtake them. A gentleman who resides on the Chesa- 

 peake near Brush River, informed me, that a few years since, he had 

 wounded a Swan, and afterwards cured and tamed it. To prevent it 

 from flying away, he clipped its wing, but it occasionally escaped to 

 the water, where he had often followed it for several miles, with two 

 rowers before he could catch it. The unwounded birds have frequently 

 been seen to collect around a crippled companion, and urge it to escape, 

 pushing it forward, and I have been informed by good authorities, that 

 they have been observed to place themselves on each side of a disabled 

 Swan, supporting a broken wing, and almost lifting the object of their 

 affectionate care out of the water. 



" Whilst feeding and dressing. Swans make much noise, and through 

 the night their vociferations can be heard for several miles. Their 

 notes are extremely varied, some closely resembling the deepest base of 

 the common tin-horn, whilst others run through every modulation of 

 false note of the french-horn or clarionet. Whether this difference of 

 note depends on age or sex I am not positively assured. 



" The Swan requires five or six years to reach its perfect matm'ity of 



