THE BLACK SWAN 



{Cygnus atratus.) 



For centuries the swans have attract- pearance they probably will be preserved 



ed the admiring attention of the human as captives, but granted more or less 



race. The beauty of their form, their freedom, in most civilized countries, 



gracefully arched and curved necks, Someone has said that it is quite pos- 



their powerful flights, and the graceful- sible that there are, at the present time, 



ness of their aquatic habits have always more Black Swans in captivity in other 



led to expressions of admiration. They countries than exist in a free state in 



are all large birds and with the excep- their native region, 

 tion of the Australian species the plum- The Black Swans are not as large 



age of the adult is entirely or mainly as some of the other species but they 



white. Among the ancients the possi- are much less shy than most of their 



bility of a black swan was not thought relatives. When flying at night, they 



of, and when the black species of Aus- utter a very musical note. "Old Bush- 



tralia was first discovered "its existence man" writes that in Victoria the Black 



seems to have impressed the popular Swans were common "on all the larger 



mind with the notion of extreme diver- swamps and lagoons, sometimes in good 



gence, not to say the contrariety, sized flocks, but generally in small com- 



of the organic products of that panics, which I took to be old birds and 



country." It is interesting that we are birds of the year. Early in summer 



able to name the exact date on which they retired to their breeding haunts, and 



this bird was discovered. "The Dutch we saw very little of them again till 



navigator, William de Vlaming, visiting the swamps and water holes filled. They 



the west coast of Zuidland (Southland) appear to breed in August and Septem- 



sent two of his boats on the sixth of ber. The nest is a large heap of rushes, 



January, 1697, to explore an estuary he and the female lays five to seven dirty 



had found. Their crews saw at white eggs, not so large as those of 



first two and then more Black Swans, the mute swan." The mute swans are 



of which they caught four, taking two natives of Europe and some portions 



of them alive to Batavia." The facts of Asia, and in winter they also enter 



ascertained were communicated to the northern Africa. It is said that in na- 



Royal Society in October, 1698, and ture the nests of the Black Swans are 



were printed in its Philosophical Trans- often a mass of aquatic plants two or 



actions. Later, other investigators more feet in height and six or more feet 



found that the range of the Black Swans in diameter. The period of incubation 



included nearly the whole of Australia lasts about five or six weeks. In nature 



and that they were very abundant in when danger is imminent, these Swans 



many localities. They are said to be try to save themselves, whenever it is 



much less common now and may become possible by swimming rather than by 



extinct as a wild species. But because flying, for they are birds of heavy flight, 

 of their beauty and their attractive ap- 



86 



