AMERICAN SWAN. 231 



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 retire 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 alarmed, 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 americanus, Sharpless, Amer. Journ. of Sc. and Arts, 



vol. xxii. 

 American Swan, Cygnus americanus, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 133. 



Male, 53, 84. 



Common during winter in the Middle Atlantic Districts, especially on 

 Chesapeake Bay. Not seen south of Carolina. Columbia river. Breeds in 

 the Fur Countries. 



Adult Male. 



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 toward the end, when they widen a little; 

 the tip rather abruptly rounded, the unguis truncato-obovate. Nostril 



