Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1890-04-05
SWAN FANCY AND FACT.
q Veteran Keeper Says They Are
Wise and Discreet Birds.

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In the little pond just north Of Gencrai
Grants bridge at the Sevcnty-scventh
Itrcct entrance to Central Park the water
owl have their winter quarters. Here
hey arc fed and tended by old Tim, who
las exercised his mild sway over things
louatic in Central Park for the last thirty
years. Tim is student of natural his
.ory and an authority upon the ways of
water fowl. He knows the history of
Every bird under his charge, and unhcsi-
;atingly .ascribes to his fcathcrcd friends
Ill sorts of human traits. The swans are
lis favorites, and he is full Of anecdotes
lbout the swans of Central Park, and of
odd reflections upon swan nature in.gcn-
,ral. For some days past one of the
great white male swans has been outside
he network of wire that surrounds the
winter quarters. His only companions
ire two tiny white ducks, but just within
his faithful spouse, who looks at him
through the network, and as Tim firmly
believes, holds long conversations with
The exile. "Hcll not 60 away" says
Tim with confidence. "They're dead in
lovc with each other, and he wouldn't
eave for a whole flock of strange
ywans.n
Tim privately believes that his long
years of observation have enabled him to
contribute many valuable facts to the
worlds stock of ornithological knowl-
edge. He is sure not only that swans,
once mated, are forever faithful, but that
hey have distinct sense of property in
The waters surrounding their nests;
That they have considerable control
over the matter of laying eggs, and excr-
Else it whenever for any reason it seems
mprudcnt to lay; that not only strong
,onjugal affection, but pride, jealousy,
and hatred arc Characteristic of swans,
md, finally, that each variety of swans,
IS Of all other fcathcred creatures, speaks
its own language. This last notion is so
rooted in Tins mind that he takes it for
granted that all men accept it as estab-
Iishcd, and constantly refers to it incl
lentally as matter of fact.
Tins sole duties in winter time are to
feed the water fowl in their winter quar-
sers and look after the peacocks, whose
haunts are chiefly in the dense shrubbery
hard by. Within a few weeks the water
fowl will be turned out into the big lake.
Tim looks forward with interest to the
great swan battles that will take place as
soon as the birds are let out. There are
two OF three wiGecss male swans, and,
Until they learn not to mcddlc with the
domestic relations of their married
friends, there will be almost daily battles
On the lake. Tim and the boatnlan have
to keep sharp eye for these contests, as
they sometimes end fatally if no one in
tcrfcres.
Tins flock of peafowls has not fully
recruited its strength since the blizzard
destroyed half the birds The peafowls
have for companion a plain little guinea
fowl, the sole creature OF its kind to sur
vivc the blizzard. Already the pcacocks
begin to stand in sunny places and spread
their tails. When the whole flock struts
upon some sunny lawn the males look, at
little distance, exactly like so many
spraying fountains clothed in rainbows.
Tim is not so learned an authority upon
peafow as upon swans, but he had made
some shrewd observations Of the former.
He declares that moulting peacock is as
ashamed of himself and as anxious to
avoid the eye of man and beast as a dude
in his old clothes. When moulting time
comes scores of visitors to the park
eagerly pick up the gorgeous feathers as
fast as they fall.-(Ncw York Sun.