The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1909-04-10
SWANS FATAL SWIM.

men will recall the great destruction
of swans which took place at Niagara
Falls. A great flock of these large
and beautiful birds was carried down
the river and over tne falls and an
authoritative account of the occur
renee recently appeared in a paper by
James Savage, of Buffalo, N. Y,
printed in the bulletin of the Buffalo
Society of Natural History.
While the whistliDg swan occurs
regularly along the Niagara River, it
is always rare migrant and would
scarcely ever be captured were it not
for the fact that it often floats down
the river to injury or death at the
great cataract. Observers declare
that scarcely a year passes without
one or more swans going over the
falls. About twenty made the fatal
plunge in March, 1906, and FIVE in
the same month, 1907, but no such
destruction of swans has been known
as took place March 18th, 1908, when
more than 100 were destroyed.
During the greater part of the day
severe rainstorm prevailed. "About
II o'clock in the morning, between
showers, William Leblond, of Mia
CARA Falls, Ont, was engaged in re-
moving from the ice bridge tempo
rary structure that had been used
during the winter season as souve-
mir and refreshment stand, when he
was startled by loud cry. Turning
around, his attention was first at
tracted to a swan struggling in the
water at the upper edge of the ice
bridge, but on looking toward the
falls he saw great company of swans
in distress coming toward the bridge.
The scene that followed was a sad
one for any bird lover to contem-
plate.
"These splendid birds, helpless
after their terrible plunge over the
cataract, were dashed again stthe ice
bridge by the swift current amid cakes
of loose ice, which were constantly
coming down from the upper river.
Some had been killed outright by the
falls. Others unable to fly, because
of injury to their wings, attempted to
stem the rushing waters, but here
their wonderful swimming powers
we're of no avail. They were soon
imprisoned in the ice, where their
pitiful cries were heartrending.
"The game laws OF Ontario still
permit the taking of geese and swan
in the spring until April 80, and it
was not long before men and boys,
armed with guns and sticks, availed
themselves of the privilege and be-
came the chief factors in the closing
scene of natures great tragedy-the
sacrifice of the swans.
AS soon as be learned of the oc-
renee, Mr.. Savage visited Niagara
Falls, and from his investigation con.
cluded that the number of swans
taken March 18th was Io2. On the
morning of March 18th, two more
were taken at the ice bridge and a
third was picked up alive on the
shore. 1t was secured by Mr.. Saw
age and photographed. Placed in
the geological collection in Delaware
Park, Buffalo, it recovered. Eleven
more swans were taken later, and
some others were seen which, though
apparently carried over the falls, were
still able to take wing and fly away.
Mr.. Savage quotes ]. L. Davison's
paper on the birds of Niagara Coun-
ty," published nearly twenty years
ago in Forest and Stream, which con-
tains reference to injured swans in
waters near Niagara Falls.
But swans are not the only water
fowl that are in danger from Niagara.
On March 18th, 1908, Mr.. Savage
saw a handsome male canvasback
come down.against the ice bridge. 1t
appeared to be unable to fly. On the
same day he saw goldeneye duck
struggle out of the foaming water be-
low the Horseshoe Falls and reach
the shore. 1t made no attempt to
escape when picked up, and seemed
unable to walk or fly. Later, how
ever, it recovered and did fly off.
Of the swans which went over the
falls, many afterward appeared on
the table. A number were preserved
by the taxidermists of Niagara Falls
and Toronto. A group of FIVE ap-
pears in the Museum of the Buffalo
Society of Natural Sciences. Mr..
Savage saw nor less than fifty OF these
dead birds, and looked them over
carefully, thinking that perhaps there
might be among them a trumpeter
swan, but none was found. Mr.. Saw
age believes that fully one-third oi
the II6 swans taken would have sur
vived if given proper care, but the
impulse to kill was stronger than the
spirit to save, and not even pair OF
these unfortunate birds was rescued
from NATURES doom and restored to
NATURES freedom.