70 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



February, 1910 



ditches and streams, and covered all over with haycocks treads down one of the heaps, until a linn foundation has 

 about six feet apart, each haycock having one or two swans been secured. Then the birds, who pair for life, gather 

 sitting upon it, and you have a very fair idea oi the Ab- softer material together, and line the nest, in which the 

 botsbury Swannery in the height of the nest season. Last hens begin to lay. The number of eggs may vary from 

 spring there were over 400 nests placed closely together, three to nine, but six is the usual number. They are of a 

 and the entire swannery contained 1,150 birds. pale greenish color, and about five inches long. The swan. 



The particular \ariety of swan seen here is that known however, never considers that its nest is so complete as to 

 as the mute swan. In all, we have no be incapable of improvement. Through- 



less than seven species of swans living ought the whole six weeks during 



on the earth today, and which mav 

 be roughly divided into three dis- 

 tinct groups: First, the 

 swan of Australia; sec 

 the black-necked swan 

 southern South Amer- 

 ica; and third, the 

 remaining five spe- 

 cies of pure white 

 birds— the whoop- 

 ing, Bewick, whist- 

 ling, trumpeter and 

 mute swans— found 

 in the temperate re- 

 gions of both hemi- 

 spheres. Each differ 

 from the other in cer- 

 tain little characteristic 

 principally in the for 

 of the bill, head and 

 color of the neck. The mute is 

 easily distinguished by the large 

 black knob at the base of the bill. It 

 is one of the prettiest and most grace 



On the breeding grounds 



which the eggs are incubated, the 

 her up any odd material 

 may come within reach 

 1 add It to their nest. 

 Both birds take their 

 turn in sitting, and dur- 

 ing a whole morning 

 which the writer 

 spent at the swan- 

 nery, only one nest 

 was detected con- 

 taining eggs with 

 a birci upon it. In 

 the majority of cases 

 the hen was sitting, 

 ;uiti the cock bird 

 sat on the side of the 

 nest, mounting guard over 

 mate. During the night 

 most of the male birds are 

 thej; waters of the Fleet, 

 feeding upon the eel -grass which, 

 ater in the year, grows so luxur- 

 iously as to make boat passage almost 



on 



ful of all the swans, and full-grown attains an extreme impossible. This, by the way, constitutes practically the 

 length of five feet. The name "mute" was bestowed upon sole food of the birds; for, though the keepers occasionally 

 it because of its inability to give utterance to tones as loud or scatter a little maize about, it is found quite unnecessary to 

 as musical as those which characterize its congeners. The bird feed the birds. Early in the morning the male birds re- 

 is, however, far from being actually mute, and has a soft, not turn to the shore, and take their place on the nests, while 

 unmusical note. the hens go to feed. Towards 9 o'clock the hens return. 

 The nests at the swannery under notice consists of heaps of and throughout the morning both birds may usually be seen 

 straw and dry spear reeds, the material being chiefly supplied by on the nest. 



the keepers. The straw and roots are thrown down in heaps During the breeding season the cock birds are extremely 



towards the middle of March, when the birds begin to assemble, pugnacious, and will attack anything approaching the 



It is necessary to do this, because otherwise the rather limited vicinity of the nest. This results in some exciting scenes 



supply of material growing naturally within the area of the frequently being witnessed. The majority of the nests are 



swannery would not suffice, and continual fights would take very close together, and in passing between these to and 



place among the nesting birds. The process of nest-mak- from the water the birds are ruthlessly attacked by the 



ing is not an elaborate one. First the male bird vigorously cocks. Curiously enough, the birds never interfere with 



Swan and nest 



Swan eggs and nest 



