136 J. Cassidy—Australian Bird-Beauties


of the Black Swan is the white man. Nothing would seem to satisfy

him but the extirpation of the bird. One of his cruel methods of des¬

truction is the practice of chasing the birds by boat at the particular

time when they are unable to fly owing to the shedding of their primary

quill feathers. Sometimes they are captured from mere wantonness ;

at others for the beautiful down with which the breasts are clothed,

which is highly prized and of monetary value.


It is on record by Professor Gould that he had heard of the boats

of a whaler entering an estuary, the boats returning to the ship nearly

filled with black swans destroyed in this manner.


Breeding Season. —From October to January.


The Nest. —This is composed of herbage, such as flags and rushes.

It is large in size and for preference placed on an isolated island.


The Eggs. —The eggs are from five to eight in number, of a pale

green colour or tint, with buffy-brown markings. Size 4J in. long, by

2f in. broad. The male and female birds take it in turn to sit on

the nest.


One of the earliest and most successful breeders of the bird in this

country w T as the late Samuel Gurney, Esq., who on his estate at

Carshalton in Surrey, on the Biver Wandle, placed a pair which he

purchased in Leadenhall Market. In seven years they bred sixteen

times, having laid 111 eggs.


The reputation accruing to the Black Swan does not truthfully

describe its character. It has the reputation of being cruel and fierce

and destructive, whereas in its natural disposition it is gentle and

tame unless molested or placed near the White Swan, which bird it

will not tolerate for any length of time but invariably destroys.


In this sketch of Australia’s bird beauties, we have confined our¬

selves to giving some brief notes about one specimen of six of the

Orders into which at start we divided them. Had we space we could

continue our description almost ad infinitum.



