140 AMERICAN SWAN. 



Abby Island, when seven Swans were approaching the point in one 

 line, and three others a short distance behind them. The small group 

 appeared exceedingly anxious to pass the larger, and as they doubled 

 the point at about sixty yards distance, the three formed with the 

 second bird of the larger flock, a square of probably less than three feet. 

 At this moment both guns were discharged, and three Swans were 

 killed, and the fourth so much injured that he left the flock and reached 

 the water a short distance in the bay ; but it being nearly dark his 

 direction was lost. These, with another that had been killed within 

 an hour, and three which were subsequently obtained, were all of less 

 than five years of age, and averaged a weight of eighteen pounds. 



" The Swans never leave the open shores of the bay for the side 

 streams, and the Geese rarely through the day, though they often re- 

 tire to the little inlets to roost or feed at night. Few of these large 

 game are found after their regular settlement, above Spesutie Island, 

 but lay on the flats in mingled masses of from fifty to five hundred, 

 down the western shores, even as far as the Potomac. During a still 

 night, a few Swans may often be seen asleep in the middle of the bay, 

 surrounded by a group of far more watchful Geese ; and the writer 

 has paddled at day-break one morning within ten feet of an enormous 

 sleeping Swan, who had probably depended for alarm on the wary 

 Geese, by which he had been surrounded, but which, as we approached, 

 had swam away. By an unforeseen occurrence, when a few seconds 

 would have enabled us to have stunned him by a blow, he became al- 

 armed, and started in a direction that prevented a probable chance of 

 killing, from our position, and the tottering nature of the skiff." 



American Wild Swan, CyGNUs Ameeicanus, Sharpless, Amer. Journal of Science 

 and Arts, vol. xxii. 



Adult Male. Plate CCCCXI. 



Bill rather longer than the head, large, higher than broad at the 

 base, gradually becoming more depressed. Upper mandible with the 

 dorsal line concave at the commencement, then descending and very 

 slightly convex to beyond the nostrils, at the end decurved ; the ridge 

 broad and flat at the base, gradually narrowed, convex toward the end ; 

 the sides nearly erect and somewhat concave at the base, gradually 

 sloping, and towards the end convex, the margins nearly parallel until 



