Swan

Swan, any bird of the genus Cygnus, of the Duck family, of which they are the largest members. There are about ten species, chiefly from the ternperate regions of the northern and southern hemispheres. The bill is about as long as the head, and the neck is long and arched; the short legs are set far back, and give these birds an ungainly appearance on land, though they are exceedingly graceful in the water; the three toes in front are webbed, and the hind toe is free. They feed pnncipally on aquatic vegetation, but they also consume great quantities of fish-spawn. Their usual note is a loud hiss, but the call of the male in the breeding season is a trumpet-like note. The Common, Mute, or Tame Swan (C. olor) is partially domesticated as an ornamental bird in this country and on the Continent. The total length is about five feet. The plumage of the adults is pure white, but that of the young birds or cygnets is bluish-grey. The Polish Swan (C. immutabilis) is now reckoned a variety, though formerly considered distinct, from the fact that the plumage of the cygnets was white. The Wild Swan, Elk, or Whooper (C. ferus) and Bewick's Swan (C. bewicki) visit Britain in their migration southward. The North American Swans, like those of Europe, are white-plumaged. The Black-necked Swan (C. nigricollis) is South American, and the Duck-billed Swan (C. anatoides), from Magellan Straits, has the head and neck brown. The Black Swan (C. atratus) is Australian. Swans are birds-royal, and to steal a tame swan or one bearing the mark of the Crown is felony.