. The bird . briety maintain them still. Itis this persistent anxiety which has gifted the pelican with a peculiarorgan, hollowing for her under her distended beak a movablereservoir, a living sign of economy and of attentive foresight. Others, skilful voyagers, like the swan, live by constantlychanging their abode. But the swan herself, which, though un-eatable, is trained by man on account of her beauty and her grace—the swan, formerly so common in Italy, and to which Virgil so con-stantly refers, is now very rare there. In vain the traveller wouldseek for those .snow-white flotillas which c
. The bird . briety maintain them still. Itis this persistent anxiety which has gifted the pelican with a peculiarorgan, hollowing for her under her distended beak a movablereservoir, a living sign of economy and of attentive foresight. Others, skilful voyagers, like the swan, live by constantlychanging their abode. But the swan herself, which, though un-eatable, is trained by man on account of her beauty and her grace—the swan, formerly so common in Italy, and to which Virgil so con-stantly refers, is now very rare there. In vain the traveller wouldseek for those .snow-white flotillas which covered with their sails thewaters of the Mincio, the marshes of Mantua; which mourned forPhaeton in despite of his sisters, or in their sublime flight, pursuingthe stars with harmonious song, repeated to them the name ofVarus,* That song, of which all antiquity speaks, is it a fable? Theseorgans of singing, which are so largely developed in the swan, were* See Virgil, Georgics. DECAY OF GRUTAIX SPECIES. 116. they always useless? Did tliey never disport themselves iu lia|)pvfreedom when enjoying a more genial atmosphere, and spending thegreater portion of the year in the mild climates of Greece and ItalyOne might be tempted to believe it. The swan, driven back to thenorth, where his amours secure mystery and repose, has sacrificed hissong, has gained the accent of barbarism, or become voiceless. Themuse is dead; the bird has survived. Gregarious, disciplined, full of tactic and resources, the crane, tliesuperior type of intelligence among these species, might contrive, onewould fancy, to prosper, and to maintain lierseif everywhere in herancient royaltj^ She has lost two kingdoms, however : France,where she now onty appears as a bird of passage; England, where sherarely ventures to deposit her eggs. The heron, in the days of Aristotle, was full of andsagacity. The ancients consulted him in reference to fine weather ortempest, as one of the gravest of augurs. Fallen i
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