THE SWAN AND THE LYNX.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 535, 22 January 1913, Page 6

THE SWAN AND THE LYNX.

A DESPERATE STRUGGLE. Scon one-of the baby cygnets, having divided the shell into two halvei by the ordered strokes of its sharptipped bill, thrust up the top portion as if it had been a iid., and eprawled forth 1 all wet .against its mother's hot and naked breast; The mother pushed one half ot the shell within the other, that they might take up less room, and then, a little later, threw them out of the nsst, lest they should get fitted on over the end of another egg and- smother the occupant. - Presently two more eggs hatched almost simultaneously. The ecstatic mother was now half standing in 'the nest to give the damp sprawlers room. It was at this time that the old grey lynx, prowling down nearer to the water's edge than was his wont, observed the stepping stones, and decided to come over. He had wanted those great white birds for a long time. * Now, the most powerful of swans, under usual circumstances and conditions, is no match for the lynx, but the helpless quarry merely for that fierce and powerful marauder. But often, in defencß of their , young, the wild creatures develop powers and heroisms undreamed of at other times. - At,such a period they become utterly, reckless of odds ; and such a temper may often accomplish the impossible. Moreover, it is ona thtyg to hold a, bridge, and another 'ta fight in the open. There was. noi uncertainty 'in ths minds of the two swans a- to tha deadliness of this peril. They knew all about lynxes. ■ Thei mother bird stood up.-among her eggs and young, and stepped- delicately from the nest, hissing £nd beating her wings. Both birds knew better than to attack this foe by water or by land. Witti screams of hate they -rose laborious 4 lv into the air.

The lynx had reached the secoad stepping stone, a sharp and narrow one, and was balancing himself with the caution of a house cat afraid oi wetting her feet, before taking the next leap. Just as he gathered himself to spring, the male swan struck him on the side of the head, almost throwing him from his foothold. His forepaws, indeed, and his whiskered muzzle went into the water hut his great hind claws, tirm based for the spring, maintained their hold on the rock. Sp'itting harshly in his amazement, he clawed ' back to ,hi£ position. But in the next instant he was so ill-advised and over-con-fident as to rise upon his hind legs, striking at his assailant in. the hope of bringing him down. At \the very moment when his balance was leasl secure, the female; utterly reckless, laiiriched her whole weighl against him. Hurling him irresistibly from the ledge, she fell with kin: and upon him, driving him deep int« the water.

For one bewildering second ke clawed at her, ripping ofl the strong white feathers and inflicting crue] wounds en breast and thigh. But this was for a moment only. 'Daunted and choking, he loosed his grip in haste, and pawed his* way back to the surface. As he scrambled out

upon the ledge, both birds were at him again instantly ; but he had - not an ounce of fight left in him. H< was not' at all hungry, and he did

not like swans, and he wanted t«

gfet of! to some quiet, sunny place and dry himself. Spitting loudly, head hunched down , between his shoulders, ears flat, and stub of- a tail pressed tight between. h}s furry buttocks, he fled ignominioiusly through ' a pandemonium of wings and beaks and gcreams. When he was quite beyond theii reach, the two swans, stretched themselves to their full height, spread their wings as wide as possible, and trumpeted a raucous warning to al: trespassers. Then they hurried back to the nest which they knew so well how to guard. The female, apparently unconscious of, her wounds, resumed eagerly hex brooding, with 'soft, murmurs ■ tt> tht hatching young ; while the male, as calm as if nothing out of the or-

dinary had happened, or was ever likely to happen, set himself tc preening the ruffled of ' his plu mage.—"Windsor Magazine."

Tlie whole progress of the humar race has indeed. been due to individual members discovering means oi concentrating energy, and of transforming one" form into another. The carnivorous 'animals strike v?'ith theii paws and crush with their teeth ; the first man ' who aided his arm with-a stick in striking a blo>v discovered how to 'concentrate his small supply of kinetic energy ; ihe first man who used a spear found <hat its sharp; point j.n motion rep-rc ccntid £ still more concentrated l ornj. .

The preparation of oxygen ly Priest-, ley. applied energy, to oxide of mercury in the form of heat ; Davy improyed on this when he concentrated electrical energy inti the tip of a thin wire by aid of a powerful battery, and isolated 1 potassium - and sodium.—Sir William Rdmsay.

The 'Britisher's highest: ambition is still just to work just hard enough to get . just money enough to stop work altogether and be a gentleman. —"World's work." .

Reverend Gentleman: "Do you know, my that half the cases of cancer are caused by people smo'ting those foul, dirty, -shot, hi act clay pipes ?" Son of Toil : "An'l (1 you i no.v. guv'nor, that 'arf of the black eyes are caused by folks not raindin' theii •wn business ?" \