Select Specimens / From Nature / of the / Birds Animals &c &c / of / New South Wales / Collected and Arranged / by / Thomas Skottowe Esqr. / The Drawings By T.R. Browne. N.S.W. / Newcastle / New South Wales / 1813 - Page 10

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THE BLACK SWAN

This Bird, the existence of which, until the discovery of this Country was known, and which by thousands is still doubted, does not possess that gracefulness of ap-pearance so strikingly beautiful in the White Swan. When on the Water it does not Raise its Wings, but Keeps them close to the Body. The Back and Legs are of a darkish red and it has a White Streak on each Wing.

These Swans Resign their last Breath without these  ravishing Strains attributed by the Ancients to their White Rivals. I have to Remark that the white Streaks in the Wing as it appears in the drawing is exactly represented from the Bird it was taken from. I have however procured several since in which the White extends to the top of the Wing. I am therefore in-duced to think this appearance arrises according to the Birds Age -

Native Name Kinbul