( 150 ) 
The Wild Swan. 
T HIS Bird is fuppofed to be fomething lefs than the Tame Swan. Some of 
its Meafures by me taken are as follow j the Bill from its Point to the 
Angles of the Mouth is four Inches, from Bill-point to the Eye five Inches, the Leg 
below Knee, and the middle Toe, are of equal Length, being each four Inches and a 
Half. This Bird is reprefented by the whole Figure in the Plate. 
The Bill for about Half its Length from the Point is Black; its Bafe is covered 
with a yellow Skin, which reaches (in Angles on the Sides of the Head) quite to the 
Eyes; the Eyes are alfo encompaffed with Eye-lids of a bare yellow Skin; the Bill 
is hooked at the End of the upper Mandible, and toothed on its Edges, both above 
and below, its whole Length ; the Tongue is of a Flefh-Colour, jagged on its Sides 
like a bearded Arrow. I found the Plumage of the whole Bird perfectly White and 
fpotlefs, tho’ Willughby fays, the wild Swan hath fome Clouds and Spots of a dufky 
Colour. I fuppofe his might be a young Bird not perfectly moulted. When I had 
taken off the upper Feathers, I found the Skin cover’d with an exceeding fine, foft 
Down, of a fnowy Whitenefs, The Legs and Feet are cover’d with fmall Scales of a 
blackifh-brown Colour; it hath three Toes Handing forward, connected together by 
black Membranes, with a lateral Membrane on the Infide of the inner Toe; the 
Back-Toe is fmall, the Claws are Black. 
Some of thefe Birds were found in our London Markets, in the hard Winter 
1739-40, where I bought the above defcribed. They who would fee its Anatomy 
may confult Willughby s Ornithology , P. 356. My own Experience in this Bird has con¬ 
firm’d to me the wonderful Structure of the Wind-pipe, which enters a Cavity in the 
Breaft-Bone, and returns from thence again before it is inferted into the Lungs. We 
having no Figure of this Bird, I thought it would not be improper to figure and 
defcribe it. Willughby has only given a Draught of its Head. Thefe Birds are 
Natives of the Northern Parts, both of America and Europe , there being great Num¬ 
bers of them found in Hudfon’s-Bay, fome of which, brought over, I have com¬ 
par’d with this, and find them to be the fame. I believe the Tame Swan is not found 
in America. I have here inferted the Head of the Tame Swan, to fhew how it 
differs from the Wild, and to fhew that they are not the fame Bird, as fome People 
fuppofe. There is no Mark of outward Difiin&ion between the two Species but in 
their Bills, which appear plainly in the Figures. The Tame Swan’s Bill is Red or 
Orange-colour’d, the Hook at the Point Black, and blackifh on its Edges, and about 
the Noftrils; the under Mandible hath only a little Red on each Side ; it is toothed on 
the Edges as in the Wild Swan; the upper Mandible is hollow or finking in on its 
upper Ridge, (tho’ Albin in his Figure, Vol. III. P. 91, has made it arched or rifing, 
contrary to its Nature ;) it hath large triangular Spots of black Skin between the Bill 
and Eyes on each Side; the upper Points of thefe Triangles join to a Knob, or Ex- 
crefcence, of a hard, black, flefhy Subfiance, which runs forward, and over-hangs the 
upper Mandible of the Bill. The Legs and Feet of the Tame Swan cannot be diftin— 
guifhed from thofe of the Wild, fo that in one View I have here fhown all that is 
different in the two Species of Swans. 
The 
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