SWANS. 



BUT two species of Swans inhabit North America, and only 

 one of these is Icnown to the gunners of our Eastern Coast, 

 Cygnus buccinator, being found only in the Mississippi Valley and 

 to the Westward. Swans being the largest and least abundant of 

 our wild fowl, are highly esteemed and eagerly sought for by the 

 sportsman, but owing to their rarity and their extreme wariness, 

 but few are killed. Notwithstanding their great size, they fly v/ith 

 wonderful swiftness, and the' thick covering of feathers and down 

 with which they are protected, will turn the largest drop shot. 

 The sportsman then, who has killed his Swan, has reason to con- 

 gratulate himself, not only on his skill in bringing the bird to bag, 

 but on his good fortune in getting a shot at it. 



Cygnus buccinator. — Richardson. Trumpeter Swan. 



As has been remarked, the Trumpeter Swan is scarcely or not 

 at all found east of the Mississippi, and it is perhaps most abun- 

 dant in California, Oregon and Washington Territory, especially 

 at the mouth of the Columbia River ; even here, however, it is not 

 common, being greatly outnumbered by the Whistling Swan. It 

 occurs somewhat sparingly during its migrations all over the Mis- 

 souri River region, and is not uncommon on the waters of the 

 Mississippi River. 



The Trumpeter Swan is pure white in color, with the exception 

 of the bill and feet, which are black. The tail is composed of 

 twenty-four feathers, and this character will serve to distinguish it 

 from the Whistling Swan, which has only twenty. The bill is 

 longer than the head, and the bird measures in total length, from 

 foui to five feet, and weighs usually about twenty pounds. Audu- 

 bon mentions one, however, which weighed thirty-eight pounds, 

 and had a spread of wings of ten feet. The Swan is only able to 



