. Stories about birds, with pictures to match . as been said that the swan sings a sweetsong, while it is dying. This is probably amere fable. I want much better evidence thanI have yet been able to obtain to satisfy methat a swan ever sang in such circumstances,or, indeed, that one ever sang at all. Swans were formerly held in such esteem inEngland, that, by an act of Edward IV. noneexcept the son of a king was permitted to keepa swan, unless possessed of five marks a a subsequent act, the punishment for takingtheir eggs was imprisonment for a year and aday, and a fine at the kings wi
. Stories about birds, with pictures to match . as been said that the swan sings a sweetsong, while it is dying. This is probably amere fable. I want much better evidence thanI have yet been able to obtain to satisfy methat a swan ever sang in such circumstances,or, indeed, that one ever sang at all. Swans were formerly held in such esteem inEngland, that, by an act of Edward IV. noneexcept the son of a king was permitted to keepa swan, unless possessed of five marks a a subsequent act, the punishment for takingtheir eggs was imprisonment for a year and aday, and a fine at the kings will. At presentswans are little valued for the delicacy of theirflesh, but many are still preserved for theirbeauty. When in danger, the old birds are said tocarry off the young ones on their back. Afemale swan has been known to attack anddrown a fox who was swimming toward hernest. They have strength enough to throwdown and trample upon boys fourteen or fif-teen years old. An old swan can break theleg of a man with a single stroke of his STORIES ABOUT BIRDS. 177 €^t €min |Jigrnir.
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License: Licensed
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1851
