THE BIRDS OF THE ISLAND OF TIREE 195 



birds never go inland, but feed below high-water mark. A flock of 

 about fourteen of them remained about ten days, during a spell of 

 frost, in the beginning of February 191 2. 



Whooper Swan {Cygnus musicus). Whoopers are regular 

 winter visitors in considerable but varying numbers. They begin to 

 arrive towards the latter end of October, and gradually increase up 

 to the middle of November, when most of the Swan population have 

 arrived. They begin to leave towards the end of February, but 

 sometimes return again in considerable numbers if a change to very 

 cold weather occurs. The first arrivals are usually to be seen on 

 the Faodhal, a creek which runs nearly across the island. This 

 creek is from thirty to forty yards broad and has a sandy bottom. 

 The Swans feed greatly on small white molluscs which are abundant 

 on this shallow bottom. In fact, these small molluscs are very 

 abundant in all the fresh-water lochs, pools, and ditches, and one 

 can see the holes made by the Swans when digging for them. They 

 also feed on herbage. Loch a Phuil a good-sized sheet of water 

 is a favourite resort of the Wild Swans. I have counted over two 

 hundred there the majority being AVhoopers during November and 

 December, but during January and February Bewick's are in a 

 majority. There are hardly any weeds or any other herbage 

 growing in Loch a Phuil. The loch, which is shallow, has a clean 

 sandy bottom, so that the Swans must feed almost entirely on the 

 small molluscs. They also frequent other lochs to a limited extent. 

 Loch Vasapol is deeper and very weedy, but neither Whoopers nor 

 Bewick's seem to care so much about it. But it is a favourite 

 resort of Mute Swans during summer. 



Bewick's Swan {Cygnus bewicki). Bewick's Swans are 

 numerous every winter, arriving usually rather later than the 

 Whooper. They have increased very much in recent years, and 

 there is always a good sprinkling of darker coloured young birds with 

 them. They invariably travel in small flocks at no great height, and 

 generally in a line, one after another. I have never seen them 

 travel in the V-formation, the same as the Wild Geese do. This 

 bird has not such a strong voice as the Whooper. But when a new 

 lot arrive at a sheet of water where there are others, they make a 

 great noise, which can be heard a mile away. They are com- 

 paratively tame while here, and take little interest in people passing 

 within less than a hundred yards of them. I may state that none of 

 the Swans are shot at, or molested in any way on Tiree, as 

 the proprietor, the Duke of Argyll, carefully preserves them. The 

 Bewick's Swans feed much the same as the Whoopers, except that 



