The agility of these birds, and their pleasing habits, render them much admired in the house; they chirp very much like chickens. I confess I like very much to hear the "_arrp, schnarrp_" of the male in the evening near me. [Illustration: THE SWAN.] WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. The birds arranged in this order are also known, under the name of aquatic birds. They are distinguished by their feet, the toes being united by a broad membrane, which assists them in swimming. Several live uniformly on the water, others in companies on the water and on the land. There are many that may be tamed, but I shall only speak of those that are able to live without being on the water. The number is thus confined to six species, easily tamed at any age. THE SWAN. Anas Olor, LINNÆUS; Le gigne, BUFFON; Der Schwan, BECHSTEIN. Instead of the common name of tame swan, I prefer that of mute swan, in order to distinguish this from the whistling, also called the wild swan, but improperly, for in Russia it is more common to have that tamed than the one under notice. This, however, is found wild throughout most parts of Europe, and in great numbers in Siberia. In Germany, when a person wishes to have one on a piece of water, and to keep it there constantly, he chooses some young ones, and breaks or cuts the first bone in the wing, to disable them from flying, and consequently prevent their departing in the autumn with their wild companions. The swan is larger than a domestic goose, it is four feet and a half in length, on account of its long neck, which it bends in the form of an S when it is swimming; it measures seven feet and a quarter from tip to tip of the wings, and weighs from twenty-five to thirty pounds. The beak is dark red, having at the base a large black callous knob, and at the tip something resembling the head of a nail, black, and rather bent; a bare black triangular streak extends from the beak to the eyes; the feet are black the first year, lead grey the second, and reddish lead grey at last; the plumage is a snowy white.