WILD FOWL. 
49 
have been seen following the coast in hut very few instances. 
They arrive at their wdnter homes in October and November, 
and immediately take possession of their regular feeding grounds. 
They generally reach these places in the night, and the first sig¬ 
nal of their arrival at their winter abode is a general burst of 
melody, making the shores ring for several hours with their vo 
ciferating congratulations, while making amends for a long fast, 
and pluming their deranged feathers. From these localities 
they rarely depart, unless driven farther south by intensely cold 
weather, until their vernal excursion. When the spring arrives, 
a similar collection of forces as at the north, takes place in 
March, and after disturbing the tranquil bosom of the water for 
a night, by incessant washing and dressing, and alarming the 
quiet neighborhood by a constant clatter of consulting tongues, 
they depart for the north about daylight with a general feu-de-joie 
of unmusical screams. 
“ The Chesapeake Bay is a great resort for Swans during the 
winter, and whilst there they form collections of from one to five 
hundreds on the flats near the western shores, and extend from 
the outlet of the Susquehanna River almost to the Rip-Raps. 
The connecting streams also present fine feeding grounds. They 
always select places where they can reach their food by the 
length of their necks, as they have never, so far as I can learn, 
been seen in this part of the world to dive under water, either 
for food or safety. Heame says that, at Hudson’s Bay, ‘ by 
diving and other manoeuvres it is impossible to take them by 
hand while moulting.’ I have often seated myself for hours 
within a short distance of several hundred Swans, to watch their 
habits and manners, and never saw one pass entirely under 
the water, though they will keep the head beneath the surface 
for five minutes at a time. 
“ The food they are most partial to is the canvass-back grass 
— VaVisneria Americana —worms, insects, and shell-fish ; never, 
I believe, touching fish, however hardly pressed for support. 
The Geese and Swans frequently feed, but never fly, together. 
il These birds are so exceedingly watchful, that if there are 
VOL. it. 4 
