BLACK SWAN. 
which are covered by the tide. It is timid, and approaches no nearer the 
shore than the depth of water allows, swimming in as the tide flows and 
retreating with the ebb, keeping always in such a position that it can 
comfortably reach the bottom with its bill. At the least strange sound 
it raises its head above water and looks about, and if all is not quiet 
moves out from the shore. It is very sensitive with regard to hearing, 
and it is almost impossible to approach within a couple of hundred yards 
of it if you are to windward, so that it is always necessary to keep to 
leeward if you wish to approach close, and then great care must be taken 
that you do not expose yourself in any way. Black Swans generally keep 
together in large flocks ; it is seldom that one sees a couple at any 
distance from hundreds of others. If the tide, when receding, leaves 
large banks uncovered, the swans, after having obtained sufficient food, 
generally bask in the sun on these banks and go to sleep. Towards 
evening they make a move towards the river mouths and creeks, and 
stay in there all night The Black Swan does not like rough water, 
and always moves as the wind changes so that it may feed peacefully 
under the lee of some bank or point. . . They are, as a rule, easily 
killed, a single grain of large shot in the head or neck being quite 
sufficient to cause death,. The above remarks apply to the north-west 
Coast, to which portion of Tasmania my experience with this bird has 
been confined.” 
Cleland in the Emu^ Vol. V., p. 206, 1906, gives the following note 
on the mechanical advantages of the shape of swans for feeding : “ \\Tiile 
watching recently some swans — ^two of the domestic White and one 
Black {Chenopis atmta ) — ^the perfect adaptation of their shape to the 
method of feeding was strikingly manifest. In shallowish water they 
will be frequently noticed while thus engaged with the tail projecting 
vertically and with head and neck stretched downwards to seek the 
weeds growing on the bottom. It will be seen that this i^ovement 
from the horizontal is executed with wonderful ease, the whole body 
swinging round a transverse axis at about the level of the legs and 
through the centre of gravity. The bases of two cones then meet at 
this level — one, whose apex is the head, pointing while thus feeding 
directly downwards, and the other a shorter and more compact cone, 
whose summit is the tail, looking upwards and keeping the bird with 
ease in its apparently awkward position. Then, when the swan wishes 
to advance a little, two or three paddles with its webbed feet sends it 
on the requisite distance. To assume again the erect position, the lower 
cone is shortened and tilted forwards by raising and bending the neck. 
21 
