AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
185 
youngest bird there was always a chamber formed in the 
flattened part behind the keel, even where the wind pipe 
was too short, from the youth of the bird, to occupy it entire- 
ly. In these cases the trachea, passed into the keel but re- 
tained the perpendicular position of the duplication. 
Mr. Yarrell mentions a paper in the London Philos. 
Trans, for 1766, on a Swan brought from Philadelphia to 
London, and dissected there, which he considers of the new 
species. 
This singular arrangement of the windpipe of the North- 
ern wild Swan, has been described by all writers on the 
bird for more than a century. A disposition to the same 
formation is seen in the New Holland Swan, but not to the 
same extent, and also in the Cranes. This peculiarity of 
the Swan is not a sexual difference, being found in every case 
whether male or female, and the development is always 
in exact correspondence with the age. This singular for- 
mation, it is supposed, is designed to give intensity to the 
voice, on the same principle as the convolutions of the Freneh 
horn, although the author of the paper just alluded to, con- 
siders it necessary to enable the bird to remain under the 
water a longer time. 
Having paid some attention to the Swan, in relation to 
its habits particularly, I am somewhat induced from my 
observations to consider the American Swan of but one 
species, notwithstanding the opinion of Hearne, Lawson 
and Yarrell, and that species entirely distinct from 
any other . I have had an opportunity of examining five 
prepared birds and five sternums, now in this city, and 
the distinguishing marks between the latter and those des- 
cribed by Mr. Yarrell appear sufficient to indicate a true 
American Swan and deserving the title of Americana. 
I will here merely mention the general lines of demarca- 
tion, as all my data at this time, rests on prepared specimens, 
but when the recent Swan can be procured, a systematic 
examination of every distinguishing trait both external and 
internal will be made, when doubtless many other well 
marked specific differences will be discovered. 
All the preserved Swans of which I have spoken, weighed 
when recent, more than twenty pounds and four of them near 
thirty pounds — have twenty feathers in the tail — bare space 
on the bill yellow, and sides of the bill parallel, with other ex- 
ternal marks of the Hooper. The colour of the eye, I can- 
not positively learn at this time, some difference of opinion 
existing even with the preservers of these specimens, two of 
them beautifully prepared by Mr. John Doughty, and now 
in his collection, having yellow eyes, which he assures me, 
was the tint of the original iris when the birds came into 
his possession, which was several days after being killed. 
The Swans finely preserved by Mr. Titian Peale, and now in 
ttje Philadelphia Museum, have brown eyes, and a regular 
3 A 
preserver of subjects of Natural History informs me, that 
all the Swans he has prepared, had black eyes. As age 
may produce a change in the colour of the iris, all these de- 
clarations may be correct in relation to the particular cases. 
But the breast bones which I have mentioned, have every 
attribute of the Bewick, except being much larger. The 
cavity passes through the keel into the hodyoi the sternum, 
and forms the horizontal chamber, which is occupied to its 
posterior extremity by the loop of the trachea, turning to 
the horizontal position according to the direction of the 
route. I have at this time in my possession, three perfect 
specimens of this formation, one of which, was from a bird 
of the third year and still retaining many dark feathers. 
The horizontal pouch in the body of the bone, is about an 
inch in lateral diameter, with the trachea running to the 
bottom. The next instance is still more developed, and the 
third, which I know came from an old bird, is in its whole 
length eight inches, and is perforated to the depth of seven 
and a half inches. The chamber in the body of the sternum 
projects on the upper surface near one quarter of an inch, 
is three inches in its lateral diameter and allows a vacant 
circle of one and a half inches in diameter within the loop 
of the windpipe. The vertical portion is just one half of 
the whole duplication. 
If wide anatomical differences make distinctions in 
species, here is certainly a broad line of demarcation be- 
tween our Swan and any other, assuming in its structure a 
middle course between the Hooper and Bewick Swans, and 
possessing many of the characters of both. 
THE DEATH SONG OF THE SWAN. 
Br Charles West Thomson. 
Farewell, ye summer streams where I have sported 
Full oft by mossy rock and flowery dell, 
I lave no more where once my flock resorted — 
Ye summer streams farewell ! 
No more upon your verdant banks reclining, 
I see your breast reflect the clear blue skies, — 
Ye quiet waters in the sun-beams shining, 
Your humble votary dies. 
Yet ’mid your lovely scenes where fairies wander, 
In many a gay and sportive moonlight throng, 
I pause on life’s dim verge awhile to ponder — 
Accept my latest song. 
