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ORD. III. GEN. IX. SWAN. 



SPE. II. MUTE SWAN. 



Anas Cygnus manfuetus. Lin. Syft. I. p. 294. 

 Le Cygne. Brif. Orn. VI. p. 288. 



This fpecies is the largeft of the web-footed birds, weighing upwards of 

 twenty pounds. The diftance between the tips of the wings is near eight feet. 

 The neck is very long, but not fo (lender as that of the whittling fwan. The 

 bill is of an orange red, black at the tip and edges : the flrin between the bill 

 and eyes, black : over the bafe of the upper mandible projects a black knob, 

 bending forward : the plumage of the old birds is pure white : that of the cyg- 

 nets, or young, brownim grey, till the fecond year : legs, dark lead colour. 



This bird is our tame fwan. It breeds on the lefs frequented fhores of the 

 Thames, and other rivers and large waters in England, but no where fo abun- 

 dantly as on a fait water inlet near Abbotlbury, in Dorfetfhire. The female 

 lays feven or eight eggs, on which (he fits about fix weeks, attended by the 

 male with the utmoft attention, to proted the neft from all intruders. It is 

 very ftrong, and fometimes exceedingly fierce; having been known, not unfre- 

 quently, to throw down and trample under foot youths of fifteen or fixteen ; 

 and an old one has broken a man's leg with a ftroke of its wing. It feeds on 

 worms, infects, fhell-fifb, and frogs, but chiefly on herbage ; and lives to a great 

 age : fome fay a hundred years, or upwards. For the egg fee PI. LI I. 



