) 
in the Linnjean fyftem; of which there are two va- 
rieties, the wild and the tame Swan. 
Swan, Wild ; the Anas Cygnus Ferus of Lin- 
naeus. Thefe birds frequent our coafts in large 
flocks when the feverity of the winter drives them 
from the hyperborean regions; but we have not 
learnt whether they ever breed in Great Britain. 
We are informed by Martin, that in Oflober they 
refort in great numbers to Lingay, one of the 
Hebrides, where they continue till March, and 
then retire more northward to breed. Thefe, 
like moft other water-fowl, prefer for that purpbfe 
thofe places which are leaft frequented by man- 
kind: the lakes and forefts of Lapland are there- 
fore filled, during the fummer feafon, with myriads 
of water-fowl, which in autumn return to usi and 
to other more hofpitable Ihores. 
The Wild Swan is lefs than the tame by almoft 
one fourth part; the former weighing but fixteen 
pounds, the latter upwards of twenty. The tame 
Swan is entirely white; but the Wild Swan is of 
an afti-colour along the back, and on the tips of 
the wings; the eye-lids are bare and yellow; and 
the legs are dulky. The cry of the Wild Swan is 
very loud, and may be heard at a great diftance; 
from which circumftance it fometimes receives the 
appellation of the hooper. 
Swan, Tame; tiie Anas Cygnus Manfuetus of 
Linnaeus. The Swan was confidered as a high 
delicacy among the ancients ; but the goofe was 
abftained from as totally indigeftible. Modern 
manners, however, have inverted taftes as well as 
opinions : the goofe is now become the favourite 
of epicures; and the Swan is feldom brought to 
table, except for the purpofe of oftentation. 
The Swan is the largeft of Britifli birds. It is 
diftinguiftied frcm the wild breed by it's fize, 
which is much larger; and by it's bill, which in 
the tame bird is red^ and the tip and fide are 
black. A callous knob projefts over the bafe of 
the upper chap. In oUl birds, the v/hole plumage 
is white; but in young ones, alh-coloured ; and 
the legs are dufky. 
This bird lays feven or eight white eggs, which 
it is nearly two months in hatching, It's chief 
food confifts of herbs growing in the water, roots 
and reeds near the margin, and fometimes infe<5ls. 
No bird makes a more inelegant figure on 
land, or a more beautiful one in water, than the 
Swan. When it afcends from it's favourite ele- 
ment, it's motions are aukward, and it's neck is 
ftretched forward with an air of ftupidity; but 
when it is feen fmoothly failing along the water, 
commanding a thoufand graceful attitudes, and 
moving at plcafure, without the fiTtallefl: effort, 
there is not perhaps a more beautiful figure in na- 
ture. In the exhibition of it's form, there are no 
broken or harfli lines; no conftrained or catching 
motions ; but the roundeft contours, and the eafieft 
tranfitions: the eye wanders over every part with 
infatiable pleafure, and every member afllimes 
new grace with mew motion. 
It is extremely difficult to reconcile the ac- 
counts of the ancients with the experience of the 
moderns, concerning the vocal powers of this 
bird. The Tame Swan is one of the moft filent 
of animals; and the wild Swan has a loud, harfh, 
and difao-reeable note. In neithw is there the 
fmaileft degree of melody ; nor have they, for more 
than a century, been faid to afford the fmaileft fpe- 
cimen of mufical abilities: yet, notwithftanding 
this, it was the general opinion of antiquity, that 
S W A 
the Swan ^vas a moft melodious bird; .ind th:»f, 
even to it's death, it's voice ronrinued to impiovtr. 
It would evince but a fmall fnare of learning to 
produce what they have faid on the mufic of the 
Sv/an: it has been already collefted by Aldrov.^ri- 
dus, and ftill more profeffcdly by the Abbe Gedoy n. 
From thefe accounts it appears, that while Piatc, 
Ariftotle, and Diodorus Siculus, bflicved the vo- 
cal powers of the Sv/an; Pliny and Virgil fctm lo 
doubt that received opinion In this equipoife 
of authority, Aldrovandus ieems to have decided 
in favour of the Greek philofophers : and the ftt uc- 
ture of the windpipe in the wild Swan, fo much 
refembling a mufical inftrument, inclined his be- 
lief ftill more ftrongly. Add to this the tefti- 
mony of Pendafius, who afrirmed, that he had 
often heard Swans finging fweetlv on the Lake of 
Mantua. Alfo that of Olaus Wormitis, who 
profeffed that many of his pupils and friends iiad 
heard them finging. * There was,' fays he, ' in 
my family, a very honeft y o u n ^ IT) a n J 
ftorph, a ftudcnt in divinity, and a Norwegian by 
nation. This man did, upon his credit, and with 
the interpofition of an oath, folemnly affirm, that 
once, in the territory of Dronthein, as he was 
ftanding on the fea-fhore early in the morning, 
he heard an unufual and I'weet murmur, compofcd 
of moft pleafant whiftlings and founds. He knew 
not at firft whence they came, or how they were 
made; for he faw no man near to produce them: 
but looking round about him, and climbing to 
the top of a certain promontory, he there ' efpied 
an infinite number of Swans, gathered together in 
a bay, and making a moft delightful harmony; a 
fweeter than which he had never heard in his life.' 
Thefe are relations fufficient at leaft to keep 
opinion in fufpence, though in contradiclion to 
our own experience. But Aldrovandus, in order 
to put, as he fuppofed, the queftion pafc all doubt, 
gives us theteftimony of an Engliftiman, to which 
he feems himfelf to have given implicit faith. 
This impoftor aflured him, that nothing was more 
common in England than to hear Swans fing; 
that they were bred in great numbers in the fea, 
near London ; and that every fleet of fnips that 
returned from diftant voyages, were met by 
Swans, which came joyfully out to welcome their 
arrival, and falute them with a loud and a chear- 
ful fong. In tliis manner was that great and be- 
nevolent man impofed on: his unbounded curio- 
fity drew people of every defcription round him; 
and his gerterofity was unhappily as ready to re- 
ward falftiood as truth. After expending an am- 
ple fortune for the purpofe of enlightening man- 
kind, he lived to experience their ingratitude: 
neither his former beneficence, nor the ufeful ap- 
plication of thofe fplendid talents which Nature 
had conferred on him, could infure relief to him 
in the hour of adverfity; for he at laft paid the' 
debt of nature in a public hofpital. Foreign as 
this digreffion may appear to our fubjefr, the be- 
nevolent and the feeling, we doubt not, will join 
us in the tear of fenfibility; and ftiould the mo- 
rofe and unfeeling be difpofed to criticife, they 
muft extort our pity 1 
It is probable that the ancients had fome my- 
thological m.eaning in afcribing mclodv to the 
Swan; and as to the moderns, it may eafily be 
difcovercd, from the relations already produced, 
how little credit is due to their teftimonies. The 
ancients, however, held a ftill more fingular opi- 
nion; they imagined that the Swan foreiold it's 
own 
