


146 
KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 

it is sometimes so unequally bestowed.” The 
* naturalist-proper’’ will admit that the tail 
of the stork is decorated with thirty feathers, 
while that of the eagle and of the falcon have 
twelve, and that of the woodpecker only ten; 
but he does not like to be urged further, nor 
to be questioned as to the causes of this 
unequal division. ‘It is a fact,” he says; 
‘‘and the only duty of Science is to state 
facts.” 
It is also a fact, that the swan has twenty- 
three vertebree in the neck; a much greater 
proportion than any other feathered creature. 
But this explanation does not suffice me. I 
ask the reason of the extraordinary number. 
If the authors alluded to had coneeived the 
excellent idea of putting to themselves the 
same question, instead of servilely mention- 
ing the bare fact, it is probable they would 
instantly have discovered the enigma of the 
swan. 
The tame swan, which I am describing, is 
a magnificent white bird; without any admix- 
ture of black, excepting only the eyes, beak, 
and feet. He weighs about 26lbs.* His 
wings cover a space exceeding six feet ; f 
they are concave like those of the stork; and 
appear to inflate with the breeze, like the 
sails of a ship. His long undulating neck, 
the sovereign type of grace, bends in a ser- 
pentine curve; even more flexible and plea- 
sing than that of the Arab. His well pro- 
portioned beak unites all the requisites of 
elegance, dexterity, and strength. The man- 
dibles are armed with sharp serratures, and 
the upper one is terminated by a sort of nail, 
horny and solid. The swan, strictly speak- 
ing, does not live upon fish, nor does he 
plunge like the duck. ‘his might naturally 
have induced the savans to reflect, that this 
long neck, provided with a sharp-edged beak, 
could only have been given to the swan as 
an instrument with which to extirpate the 
bulbs and roots of marine vegetables. And 
once in possession of this luminous fact— 
which confers upon the swan the high fune- 
tions of “‘ preserver against infection,’’ “ de- 
stroyer of frogs,’ and ‘‘ preventive of 
effluvia’”’—the said naturalists would necessa- 
rily have abstained from the rash assertion 
that the swan was “ only pleasing to the 
eye.” 
ae this pre-eminently graceful creature, 
all leans towards the side of “ beauty ;’’ and 
the swan, conscious of his ornamental and 
hygeienic mission, adds to nature as much as 
he can by art. He is ‘‘ the” coquet among 
birds; not excepting the peacock and the 
humming bird. He is longer at his toilette 
than a cat ; he admires himself in the erystal 
wave like the beautiful Narcissus. If I 
wished to calumniate the swan, I would not 
* 25 lbs. French. + 2 Metres. 




say he was only useful to decorate a public 
garden, but that he liked pure waters only 
because such best reflected his form. Ad. 
mitting that an exaggerated self-love, and 
the desire of seeing the unspotted whiteness 
of his plumage reflected in the wave, are the 
only motives which induce the swan to 
destroy noxious weeds and croaking reptiles, 
—the air is no longer poisoned with tainted 
miasma ; the frog does not disturb my rest. 
That is all { know; and it is enough to have 
the right of saying—‘ Honor to the swan, 
which has given me pure air, and quiet 
nights.” 
But if I am not a sceptic; if I am an 
analogist; if I am convinced that every 
animal symbolises a human type,—how the 
scene expands to my intellectual vision ! 
The swan will then be no longer a mere 
creature with palmated feet, which by chance 
prefers clear waters, as the duck prefers 
muddy ones. He will be at once trans- 
formed into the purifier of the waters, and 
the preserver of public health. The ancients 
guessed nearly as much, when they conse- 
crated this bird to Apollo, the god of the fine 
arts, and to Venus the goddess of beauty ; 
that is, to the two most charming creations 
of the Olympus. Many instances might be 
quoted, demonstrating the degree of regard 
and esteem which has everywhere been felt 
for this majestic bird, the noblest of all 
water birds. JI have passed many hours in 
admiring hin—more particularly in his func- 
tions as father of a family, preceding the 
convoy of his numerous young ones; his 
wings lovingly spread to the zephyr; tracing 
a long wake on the surface of the water; 
glancing keenly around; his head high, his 
eye glowing, and his beak threatening; while 
the mother protects the rear-guard in an 
attitude no less imposingly-proud — the 
young meantime playing between them with 
all the gaiety and fearlessness peculiar to 
their age. 
Whilst gazing on such a scene, what gra- 
titude do I not feel for the many mercies 
shown to me; and for the charm lavished 
upon this spectacle which is mine for 
nothing! What gratitude, for having con- 
ferred upon me in my poverty, the enjoy- 
ment of so many delights unknown to the 
rich!—to the poor rich,who have never given 
praise to Providence for aught but having 
directed the course of large rivers through 
large cities! 
The swan, gliding upon the waves without 
the eye being able to discern the movement 
which impels him, is the perfect image of a 
ship—one of the most magnificent concep- 
tions of human industry. Nautical science 
will only have reached perfection, when the 
system of the swan’s sails shall be adapted 
to the ship; and when a paddle capable of 


