in July 1859, says, “T bave been at the swannery at Abbotsbury—a_ very

e ”
ight hundred at the last counting.
: Sarl of Ilchester.

Swan commences its nest in March ;

rofes Jewton, writing to me : |
ee he ; Is of e The royalty belonged anciently
were upwards of €
to the family of Strangeways, and now to the
at lakes, and ponds the Mute
eggs are incubated. During this period the male

fine sight. There
to the abbot, since
On the Thames and other rivers, gre

and by the middle of April the six or seven olive-white a ot eae
is in constant attendance upon the female, occasionally taking her place upp the oe ee her
with jealous care, giving chase and battle, if necessary, to every infraeer ee - is ee yee in an
exposed situation, op an island in preference to the river’s bank, is of large SIGs ane con of enna

such as weeds, flags, &c. sparingly lined with the soft feathers of the parent birds.
the female raises her eggs out of harm’s way by adding

~

of various kinds,
If there be any unusal rise in the water,
fresh materials to the nest. In a month or thereabouts the cygnets are uatched and taken to the water,
on the lee side of the mother, and

swimming quickly, and feeding upon the tender succulent

where they usually swim at this early period possess all the energies
rere they usually : 1

necessary for the continuance of their existence,
plants which are pulled from the bottom by their
eful, are the admiration of all who see them.
feathers, by which means they obtain both

parents. ‘These downy cygnets, being extremely
pretty and even grac If they become fatigued, they scramble
on the back of the mother and nestle among the secondary
ith and shelter—a_ practice which is continued for two or
a dress with is carried for about a month, when a

sah three weeks. Their colour at this time
is a light bluish grey, with black beak and legs,
change begins to appear, and by the end of October they are clothed in whitey-brown feathers—a costume
which is borne until the second year, when these feathers are gradually shed and white ones take their
place; but the perfect plumage and the rich orange-colouring of the bill are vot attained until the com-
mencement of the third year.

“The Swan’s nest, from its ample dimensions,” says Mr. Stevenson, “ is always a conspicuous object, whether
placed amongst the rank herbage on the river’s bank, at the mouth ofa marsh-drain, or on the little islands and
reedy margins of the broads themselves ; and from the summit of that littered mass the sitting bird commands all
approaches, whilst her mate keeps guard below. To my mind an old male Swan never looks more beautiful than
when, thus ‘ on duty,’ he sails forth from the marein of the stream to meet intruders ; with his head and neck
thrown back between his snowy pinions, and every feather quivering with excitement, he drives through the
rippling water, contenting himself, if unmolested, with a quiet assertion of his rights, but with loud hisses and
threatening actions resenting an attack. When the young, too, under the joint convoy of their parents, have
taken to the water, the actions of both birds are full of grace and vigour, and the deep call-notes of the old pair
mingle with the soft whistlings of their downy nestlings. What prettier sight presents itself upon our inland
waters than such a group disporting themselves in the bright sunshine of a summer’s day, when the pure
whiteness of the old bird’s feathers contrasts with the green background of reeds and rushes, and the little grey
cygnets on their mother’s back are peeping with bright bead-like eyes from the shelter of her spotless plumes ?
This habit of taking the young on her back is not, as some have supposed, adopted only as a means of safety when
crossing a strong current, but is a method of brooding her young on the water, very commonly practised by the
female Swan when her cygnets are small; and she will sink herself low in the water that they may mount the
more easily. Whether at the same time she gives them a ‘leg up’ by raising them on the broad webs of her own
feet cannot say positively ; but this is not improbable, since a favourite action in Swans is that of swimming with
one foot resting upon the lower part of the back, the sole of the foot being uppermost. ‘The down of the nestlings
is replaced by feathers of a uniform slate-grey, and though in some a sprinkling of white feathers may be
ce in their first nicniuaaaney they do not acquire their full plumage till the following summer, when from twelve to
a ee ; oieareny stage - least attractive as regards form or plumage)
in August, ir are intentionally left a oo ie * lasts a Ve elude the pasa aa swale
ete oe Aah fir Gheaiselves. end egal ig a are Taree driven away by Me om ones, later in the
el 4 bck sorraived ll the pd of : ! - eee paired off for nesting. The orange-red colour
ee a edie - ri : rich Se oe perfectly white in plumage, they are

e knob or ‘ berry’ is a matter of age.”

Much has bee Ww | ; res Ct] y . S 1 Ss
: 7 : | Dn ee re pec ting the harm done by Owahs in the de: truction of f sh in our rivers 5 ba
firm y behleve that t 1S occurs to eo Very li i t i ‘ ]
. c imited extent heir natt % | & ¢ atic ‘ 5 2 grasse
of the meadow . and that on the eke cas the : rh ? | i be Ing aquat 1c ylants and the gras ‘
. oe y enect much LOOC YY Cle< ‘| x t 2 t ick , 5 f reeds : y
may take a little of the spawn of fis} | i. a . . : . J C earing he hick beds 0 . Is : h J
f t f | Ish dur ng the limited period In which it is deposited 3 but I belie re h ,
per co ist) are seldoin m¢ | Ste a F c i i 1 ‘ SIS \ | | |
‘| : . . : 2 d 3 and probably their only animal food consists of mollusks and crustaceans
when an opportunity occurs for their cap ure
I atham tate th: ; is ; SS ‘5 S c 5
a ‘ Ste 5 at he ( VENUS olor l fo \ 7] i j ‘ ] t € it er anc
YS “ und vile ac 1 “le if i
| In I uSSla and \ iber la, most plentifu In h z iF t ry an |

in a wild state on the banks of the Southern Danube, and
whence he has eges.

Mr. Dresser informs me he has himself seen it
also on the island of Bornholm, in Denmark

The principal figure is about half the natural size