EGGS OF BRITISH BIRDS. 29 



Old World, where it breeds principally to the north of the Arctic 

 Circle. It is a common resident in Iceland, and breeds through- 

 out Arctic Europe, wandering southwards in winter to both shores 

 of the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and occasionally appearing 

 on many inland lakes and rivers on migration. Middendorf 

 found it nesting on the Taimur Peninsula, and it probably breeds 

 as far east as Bering Straits, as it passes through Southern Siberia 

 and Mongolia on migration, and is not uncommon during winter 

 in Japan and on the coasts of China. 



The eggs of the Whooper agree with those of Bewick's Swan in 

 being creamy- white in colour and having a slight gloss like those of 

 the Mute Swan ; the surface is also granulated, and there is very 

 little difference in the shape of the two ends. They vary in length 

 from 4'7 to 42 inches, and in breadth from 29 to 2'65 inches. 

 Eggs of the Mute Swan may at once be distinguished by their 

 slightly greenish colour, but those of Bewick's Swan can only be 

 distinguished by their smaller bulk. In length the eggs of the 

 two species overlap, but short eggs of the Whooper are " short and 

 stout," and long eggs of Bewick's Swan are " tall and thin," so 

 that they cannot be confused except in abnormal cases, which 

 may possibly occur. The safest guide in the determination of the 

 eggs of these two species of Swan is that of weight. Eggs of the 

 Whooper weigh considerably more, and those of Bewick's Swan 

 considerably less, than four sovereigns. 



BEWICK'S SWAN. 



(Ci/gnus betvicki.) 



Plate 8, Fig. 2. 



Bewick's Swan is by no means an uncommon winter visitor to 

 the coasts of Scotland and England, including the Outer Hebrides, 

 the Orkneys and Shetlands, and possibly the Channel Islands. It 

 is, however, most abundant on the west coast of Ireland. 



The first identified eggs of Bewick's Swan were those obtained 

 by Harvie-Brown and myself in the delta of the Petchora. A 

 Russian fisherman took the two eggs and trapped the bird on the 

 nest. The eggs are smaller than those of the Whooper, and are 

 probably the same in number, but I have never seen a larger 

 clutch than three. They do not differ from those of the Whooper 



