. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . are then unable tofly. Dogs trained to this sport chase and run them down ; the birds,being soon worn out with fatigue, are easily overtaken. The Russians have another mode of killing Swans. When thesnows melt, they allure them by means of stuffed geese and Swans dart furiously on these decoys. The sportsmen, hidden * Our experience scarcely agrees with this, for in half an hour last year, onthe Chesapeake Bay, in Maryland, I killed three brace of the
. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. . are then unable tofly. Dogs trained to this sport chase and run them down ; the birds,being soon worn out with fatigue, are easily overtaken. The Russians have another mode of killing Swans. When thesnows melt, they allure them by means of stuffed geese and Swans dart furiously on these decoys. The sportsmen, hidden * Our experience scarcely agrees with this, for in half an hour last year, onthe Chesapeake Bay, in Maryland, I killed three brace of these birds.—Ed. THE BLACK SWAN -^3 an a hut constructed of branches of trees and heaps of snow, atshort range easily shoot them. The flesh of the Swan is very indifferent in flavour. Our fore-fathers ate it, but merely from ostentation, for it was only served upon the tables of the greatest nobles. At the present day, the city ofMorwich has a preserve for Swans, which are only eaten at the muni-cipal feasts, or sent as presents to distinguished individuals. In thesecases, the birds being young, and tenderly fed, are by no means. Fig 94. — Black Swans. a dish to be despised, if properly cooked. The inhabitants of thefrozen regions of the extreme north, even with their imperfect systemof cuisine, do not entirely disdain it; but the cause for this is appa-rently something analogous to the philosophical saying, as thereare no thrushes, we eat blackbirds. The river Thames is remarkable for the number of Swans whichlive on it. The greater quantity of them belong to the Queen ; theothers chiefly to the Vintners and Dyers Companies of the City ofLondon, but we never heard that these feast their guests on thenoble birds. Deputations from the Companies make an annual visitto their preserves, called swan-hopping, or capering—that is, catchingthe cygnets, and marking them in the presence of the royal swanherd 256 REPTILES AND BIRDS. with the distinguishing brand of the society to which
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