450 Mr. Yareell on a new Species of Wild Swan. 



Hooper is but 3 inches in a breast bone of 8^ inches in length ; 

 while the depth of insertion in the new species is 5f inches in a 

 breast-bone of only 6f inches. The bone of divarication, placed 

 perpendicular to the base of the sternum, is in the adult birds 

 of both these species of the same height, that is, 1^- of an inch 

 from top to bottom, and is therefore much larger in proportion 

 in the new species ; in this bird also it is considerably convex on 

 each outside. The bone of divarication in the Hooper is com- 

 pressed, and the membrane connecting this bone with the bron- 

 chial rings is not provided with the semicircular bone and mem- 

 brane which so remarkably assists in sustaining and protecting 

 the same delicate structure in the new one. 



The bronchial tubes in the Hooper are invariably long ; those 

 of the new bird are as invariably short ; but the arrangement of 

 the muscles of voice, and the beautiful manner in which the 

 inner ascending curve of the trachea is supported by a tendinous 

 fascia (as shown at Tab. XXIV. P'ig. 2.), are the same in both 

 birds. 



By a paper in the Philosophical Transactions, vol. 56. p. 204. 

 It appears, that a wild Swan of this new species, brought alive 

 from Philadelphia, but which died soon after, had been dissected 

 by Dr. Parsons, but without considering it to be distinct from 

 the Hooper. 



Hearne met with both species of our Wild Swans at Hudson's 

 Bay, and the following two short extracts from the published 

 account of his " Journey to the Northern Ocean" refer particu- 

 larly to this subject. 



" Swans. — There are two species of this bird that visit Hud- 

 son's Bay in summer ; and only differ in size, as the plumage of 

 both are perfectly white, with black bill and legs. The smaller 

 sort are more frequent near the coast, but by no means plentiful, 

 and are most frequently seen in pairs, but sometimes single, 



probably 



