KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



361 



gentle spirits tell us) there really is, in prepa- 

 ration; and we are (already) " in arms, and eager 

 for the fray." The Summer (so long delayed) will 

 inevitably "grind us all young" again. We 

 begin to feel " ticklish " at the very idea. 



But now the hoarse voice of the printer has 

 become positively alarming. We have indeed 

 greatly transgressed, this month, by encroaching 

 on an unusually large space; but it being "our 

 last speech," we have bravely defied the printer, 

 and insisted (for once) on having our own way. 



And now let us, at parting, again declare war 

 against long faces. Does care sit heavily on the 

 brow — go into the fields. Does the heart ache — 

 go into the fields, and commune with Nature. Is 

 any one taking thought for the morrow, — let them 

 keep company with the lilies. There is no valid 

 excuse now for a sorrowful countenance. The 

 whole earth rejoices, and sets us the example : — 



Sec the clouds at play in yon azure space, 



Whilst their shadows play on the bright green 

 vale. 



Just now, they stretch to the frolic chase, 

 Anon, they'll roll on the easy gale. 



There's a dance of leaves in the aspen bower, 



There's a titter of winds in the beechen tree ; 

 There's a smile on the fruit, and a smile on the 

 flower, 

 And a laugh from the brook that runs to the 

 sea. 



Only look at yon broad-faced sun — how he smiles 

 On the dewy earth that basks in his ray ; 



On the leaping waters and gay young isles ! 

 Aye, look — and he'll smile your gloom away ! 



The summer is here, dear friends — let not one 

 of our words be lost. 



THE DOMESTIC SWAN. 



Carmina jam moriens canit exequialia cygnus. — Ovid. 



In the whole catalogue of British birds, 

 there is not one to be found more graceful 

 and majestic than our common domestic 

 swan. With me, it is a particular favorite. 

 Being quite out of harm's way, my swans 

 become much tamer than they are wont to be 

 at other places ; and as every window of the 

 house bears upon the water which flows 

 around the island, there is the finest oppor- 

 tunity possible of observing the habits of 

 these birds, whose movements are so orna- 

 mental to it, and so attractive to spectators. 



The male and female are so alike both in 

 color and in plumage, that were it not for a 

 trifling difference in size, and in the red of 

 the beak, it would be a difficult task to 

 distinguish the one from the other. The 

 snow-white feathers in the wing, receive 

 additional beauty by the muscular power 

 which the swan possesses of raising them 

 without extending the wing itself. The 

 appearance of orange color on the heads of 

 swans is merely accidental, and is acquired 



when the birds are searching for food with 

 their heads under water at the roots of 

 sedges. The impregnation is so strong, that 

 the feathers will retain the color for months ; 

 and this has given rise to the erroneous con- 

 jecture of its being original. 



Such is the power and size of the swan, 

 that our golden eagle itself will not dare to 

 attack it. Much less chance, then, would the 

 whiteheaded eagle of the United States 

 have, in a combat with it. If we can bring 

 ourselves to believe the modern assertion, — 

 that a swan spreads its legs in order to accele- 

 rate its flight, we can easily conceive that, 

 by some magic or other, the eagle may be 

 able to strike its talons into the swan's heart, 

 notwithstanding the bone and the mass of 

 muscle which obstruct access to that deeply- 

 seated organ. The fact is, no bird in the world 

 ever spreads its legs in order to increase the 

 velocity of its flight. Such an act would have 

 the very contrary effect. In flight, the legs 

 of birds (with very few exceptions) come 

 quite up to the body. In some the toes 

 point forwards, in others backwards, for 

 obvious reasons ; and it is only when a bird 

 is about to alight on land, or on the water, 

 that it stretches out its legs or spreads its 

 webs ; and this is done to check the descent 

 in order that the body may escape from 

 injury. 



Many years ago, T allowed one of my swans 

 the full use of both its wings ; and great was 

 the gratification which its aerial evolutions 

 afforded me. Its powers of flight were truly 

 astonishing. It visited all the sheets of 

 water for many miles around ; and, being 

 very tame, it would sometimes, on its return 

 home, alight within a few yards of me, as I 

 was standing near the margin of the water. 

 On taking its excursions into the world at 

 large, I would often say to it, in a kindly 

 tone of voice as it flew over my head, " Qui 

 amat periculum, peribit in illo ; " as I too 

 clearly foresaw that foes would lie in ambush 

 for it. At last, I missed my rash and pretty 

 favorite. It had taken wing to the westward 

 one fine morning, and that morning was its 

 last. I looked for its return in vain ; and 

 every day my hope grew weaker as my fears 

 increased. Towards the close of the week, I 

 read in the Wakefield paper that a pro- 

 fessional gentleman in the neighboring town 

 of Horbury, had succeeded in shooting a 

 magnificent wild swan, which had previously 

 been observed in that quarter. This made 

 me suspect that my poor swan had fallen by 

 that identical shot, for I never saw it more. 



Were wild swans less persecuted on their 

 annual visit to the shores of Great Britain, 

 w r e should see much more of their habits 

 than we do at present. I once had a flock 

 of fifty-two real wild swans here. They 

 seemed aware of the protection afforded 



