. The history of birds : their varieties and oddities, comprising graphic descriptions of nearly all known species of birds, with fishes and insects, the world over, and illustrating their varied habits, modes of life, and distinguishing peculiarities by means of delightful anecdotes and spirited engravings . race. This bird is able to swim faster than a man can walk. The Swania very strong, and at times extremely tierce: and this bird has notnnfrequently been known to throw down and trample upon youths offifteen or sixteen years of age; and an old Swan, we are told, is able tobreak the leg of
. The history of birds : their varieties and oddities, comprising graphic descriptions of nearly all known species of birds, with fishes and insects, the world over, and illustrating their varied habits, modes of life, and distinguishing peculiarities by means of delightful anecdotes and spirited engravings . race. This bird is able to swim faster than a man can walk. The Swania very strong, and at times extremely tierce: and this bird has notnnfrequently been known to throw down and trample upon youths offifteen or sixteen years of age; and an old Swan, we are told, is able tobreak the leg of a man with a single stroke of its wing. A female,while in the act of sitting, observed a Fox swimming towards her fromthe opposite shore: she instantly darted into the water, and havin»kept it at bay for a considerable time with her wings, at last succeededin drowning him; after which, in the sight of several persons, she THE BLACK SWAN SNOTV GOOSE. 3-39 returned to her nest in triumph. This circumstance took place atPensj in Buckinghamshire. Swans are very long-lived, sometimes attaining the great age of ahundred years. The flesh of the old birds is hanl and ill-tasted ; butthat of the young-ones, or cygnets, was formerly much esteemed. The Swan makes its nest of grass, among reeds; and in February. begins to lay, depositing an egg every other day till there are six oreight. These occupy six weeks in hatching. Dr. Latham says, heknew two females that for three or four years successively agreed toassociate, and had each a brood yearly, bringing up together abouteleven young-ones: they sat by turns, and never quarrelled. - Thesebirds are found wild in Russia and Siberia. THE BLACK SWAN. Like a Black Swan, was formerly a well known proverb, analogovato the Horse Marines of the present day; unfortunately for the provei ba Swan has been discovered in Australia, the whole of whose plumageis a jetty black, with the exception of the quill feathers, which aiewhite. It has been domest
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectzoology
