File:Frank Forester's field sports of the United States and British provinces of North America (microform) (1868) (20453468479).jpg

Title: Frank Forester's field sports of the United States and British provinces of North America (microform)
Identifier: cihm_51504 (find matches)
Year: 1868 (1860s)
Authors: Herbert, Henry William, 1807-1858
Subjects: Game and game-birds; Hunting; Gibier; Chasse
Publisher: New York : Stringer & Townsend
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FRANK FOKESTEk's FIELD SPORTS. but three of them feeding together, one will generally he f)n guard, and when danger approaches there is some mute sign ni' alarm, for I have never heard a sound at such times. " However much noise has been made before, the instant an alai-m occurs there is perfect silence, their heads are erected, a moment's examination determines their course, when, if the case be not too urgent, they depend on swimming if escape be neces- sary. They raroly fly evsn from tlie pursuit of a boat, unless very closely followed, and when they do arise from the water, eitlier for escape or from choice, it is generally with a scream, and when alighting particularly among others, there is usually a *how dye do' sort of expression on all sidgs. Even when wing-broke they can swim with great rapidity, and if not other- wise hurt, a single oarsman in the best constructed boat, can rarely oveitake them. " Whilst feeding and dressing. Swans make much noise, and through the night their vociferations can be heard for several miles. Their notes are extremely varied, some closely resem- bling the deepest base of the common tin-horn, whilst others i-un through every modulation of false note of the French-horn or clarionet. Whether this difference of note depends on age or sex I am not positively assured. " The Swan requires five or six years to reach its perfect ma- turity of size and plumage, the yearling cygnet being about one- third the magnitude of the adult, and having feathers of a deep leaden color. The smallest Swan I have ever examined, and it was killed in my presence, weighed but eight pounds. Its plumage was very deeply tinted, and it had a bill of a very beau- tiful flesh-color, and very soft. This cygnet, I presume, was a yearling, for I killed one myself the same day, whose feathers were less dark, but whose bill was of a dirty-white; and the bird weighed twelve pounds. This happened at a time when my attention was not turned scientifically to the subject, and I hav(i forgotten the other singularities of the specimens. By the third year the bill becomes black, and the color of the plumage Ifss intense, except on the top of the head and the back part of the

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