S W I 
t)vvn death. This is doubtlefs a poetic fiight: 
and as to their being fnppofed to fing more fweetly 
at the approach of death, the caufe is beautifully 
Explained by Plato, who attributes that unufual 
melody to the fame fort of extacy that good men 
are fometimes faid to enjoy at that awful hour, 
forefeeing the joys which await them when enter- 
ing on immortality. 
All the ftages of the Swan's approach to matu- 
rity are flow, and feem expreffive of it's longe- 
vity. Pliny obferves, that thofe animals which 
continue longefl in the womb, are the longefl: 
lived : the Swan remains the longeft in the fhell 
of any bird we know; and does not arrive at it's 
proper fize in lefs than twelve months. It is faid 
to live three hundred years; and Willughby, who 
is not reckoned very credulous, is inclined to be- 
lieve the affertion. A goofe, as he juftly ob- 
ferves, has been known to live an hundred years j 
and the Swan, being a larger bird, and it's flefh 
of a firmer texture, may naturally be fuppofed to 
live much longer. 
Swans were formerly fo much valued in this 
kingdom, t]r<xt by an aft of Plenty IV. no per- 
fon, except the king's for, was permitted to keep 
a Swan, unpofTelTed of a freehold of five marks a 
year. And by a fbatute made in the reign of 
Henry VII. the punifliment for taking their eggs 
was imprifonment f )r a year and a day, befides a 
fine at the king's pleafure. At prefent, they arc 
lefs valued for the delicacy of their flcHi; but great 
numbers of them are ftill preferved for their 
beauty. Abundance of them may be feen on the 
Thames and the Trent; and particularly on the 
falt-v;ater inlet of the fea near Abbotlbury, in 
Dorfetfhire. 
The ancients confecrated the Swan to Apollo 
and the Mufes, on account of it's fancied me- 
lody. It was alfo dedicated to Venus, probably 
becaufe of it's extreme whitenefs and elegance; 
and is frequently yoked in the car of that god- 
defs. 
SWIFT; the Hirundo Apus of Linnaeus. A 
bird of the Swallow kind, and the largefl: of the 
genus which vifits this ifle. The expanfion of 
it's wings is nearly eighteen inches, and it's length 
is eight. It's feet are fo fmall, that the aflions of 
walking and rifing from the ground are attended 
with extreme difficulty; but Nature has made 
ample amends for this inconvenience, by furnilli- 
ing it with the means for an eafy and continued 
fiight. It is more on the wing than any other 
fwallow, and it's flight is more rapid. It reRs by 
clinging to fome wall; and from hence Klein 
ftiles this fpecies Hirundo Muraria. It breeds 
under the eaves of houfes, in fteeples, and other 
lofty buildings; builds it's neft of grafs and fea- 
thers ; and lays only two eggs, of a whitifli colour. 
This bird is entirely of a glofiy dark footy co- 
lour, except the chin, which is marked with a 
v/hire fpot : but, by beir^g conftantly expofed to 
all weatliers, the glofs of it's plumage is loft be- 
fore it retires. 
The Swii't makes it's appearance in this coun- 
try fome time after the common fwailow ; and in- 
variably retires about the tenth of Auguft, being 
the firfc of the genus that emigrates. As it is al- 
mofc continually on the wing, it in a great mea- 
fure anfwers the fiibulous hiilory of the bird of 
Faradife, which was formerly believed to have no 
fecr, to live on ceieftial dew, to float perpetually 
pn the air, and to perform all it's fup£lions in that 
. .Vol. IJ. 
s w o 
element. In faft, except the fmall time the Swift 
allots to fleep, and the neceflary duty of incuba- 
tion, every other aftion is performed in the air* 
It collefts the materials for it's nefi: either as they 
are wafted about by the v>finds, or picks them up 
from the furface of the earth in it's fweeping 
flight. It's food tinqueftionably confifts of the 
minute breed of infers which people the aerial 
regions ; it's drink is taken in tranOent fips from 
the water's furface ; and even it's amorous con- 
cerns are performed on high. 
Few perfons, who have attended to thefe birds 
in a fine fummer's morning, can have failed to 
obferve them encircling a certain fpace v/ith an 
eafy, fteady motion : on a fudden they fall into 
each other's embraces ; and then drop precipi- 
tate, with a loud fioriek, for numbers of yards* 
This is the critical conjun6lure; and in this cir- 
curnftance they refembie the infect tribes* 
Swifts delight in fultry, thundery weather; 
which feems to give them frefli fpirits. During 
fuch feafons they fly in fmall parties with particu- 
lar force ; and as they pafs near fl:eeples, towers, 
and other edifices, where their mates are perform- 
ing the office of incubation, emit a loud fcream, 
by way of ferenade to the females. 
Swift is alfo an appellation by which fome au- 
thors exprefs the newt, or eft. 
SWIT. A name by which the natives of the 
Philippine Iflands denominate a very fmall fpe- 
cies of the humming-bird kind, very common in 
thofe climates. It's colours are faid to be ex- 
tremely beautiful ; and it lives on the honied dew 
of flowers. 
SV/ORD-FISH. A genus of fifhes of the 
order of apodes. According to Linnseus, it's 
charadlers are thefe : the membrane of the gills 
has eight bones; the point or extremity of the 
fnout is enfiform ; and the body is taper, and with- 
out fcales. There is only one fpecies, the xiphias 
gladius. 
Artedi gives the fubfequent characters of tbis 
genus : the branchioftege membrane on each fide 
contains eight bones; the fnout is extended into 
a very long and deprefifed point, refembling a 
fword, and of a bony fubftance; the body is ob- 
long an^i roundifli ; the dorfal fin is fmall, and 
very low in the middle; and there are no ventral 
fins. The air-bladder is remarkably long; and 
the anus is fituated near the tail. 
This fifh grows to a very confiderable fize, 
fometimes weighing one hundred pounds. It's 
body is long and rounded, largeft near the head, 
and tapering by degrees towards the tail. The 
fkin is pretty rough; the back is black; and the 
belly is of a filvery white colour. The mouth is 
of a moderate fize; the upper jaw is extremely 
long; but the under is much fhorter, and termi- 
nates in a fliarp point. The dorfal fin runs al- 
moft the whole length of the body ; the tail is re- 
marlcably forked ; and there is one pair of fins at 
the gills, but none on the belly. 
The Sword-Fifii is commion in the Mediter- 
ranean and fome other feas; nor is it an entire 
ftranger to thofe of Britain. It's flefli is efteemed 
very delicate. 
Strabo gives us a particular defcription of the 
mode of taking this fifh, v^hich exa6lly agrees 
with the praftice of the moderns. One peribn 
afcends a clifi' that overhangs the fea ; and as foon 
as he fpics the fifh, gives notice of the courfe it 
takes. Another, ftationed in a boat, climbs up 
4 M the 
