Cuass IIL. TAME SWAN. 
in England, that by an act of Edward IV. c. 6. 
no one that possessed a freehold of less clear 
yearly value than five marks, was permitted to 
keep any, other than the son of our sovereign 
lord the king.” And, by the eleventh of Henry 
VII. c. 17. the punishment for taking their eggs 
was imprisonment for a year and a day, and a 
fine at the king’s will. Though at present they 
are not so highly valued as a delicacy, yet great 
numbers are preserved for their beauty; we see 
multitudes on the Thames and Trent, but no 
where in greater quantity than on the salt water 
inlet of the sea, near Abbotsbury in Dorsetshire. 
These birds were by the ancients consecrated 
to Apollo and the Muses ; 

EVITA UUKVOS MEAWOOS 
Movous Segamevet. LEurip. Iphig. in Taur. lin. 1104. 
And Callimachus, in his hymn upon the island 
of Delos, is still more particular: 
—— Koxyoi de Seou pearovles ccosdos 
Myovioy ranrwaoy enuxAwoayTo Aimovres. 
Ebdowanss megs Aydoy. enysioay Oe Aovety 
Movoawy oovides, aoworaras Terenvuy. 
Evdev 0 mais roroapde Avpy evedyouro yopdag 
Torepov, oooans nUKVOL ET WOWETOIY HEIOaY: 
Oydooy oun ex astray, 0 OEenSogev. 
—— When from Pactolus’ golden banks 
Apollo’s tuneful songsters, snowy swans 
Steering their flight, seven times their circling course 
223 
