A'ESTS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN B7RPS. 1015 



discovery of the first montionod locality in Western AiLstralia is especially 

 interesting. On Christmas Day, 1697, the early navigator, Vlaniing, 

 discovered and named that river, the name being suggested by the great 

 niunbers of Black Swans, seen for the first time upon its waters. Several 

 birds were captured and introduced by Vlajiiing into Europe, where 

 they were quite unknown, therefore the Black Swan is probably the 

 oldest known of AustraJian birds on record. 



Gould wa.s of opinion that the fiist recordid notice respecting the 

 Black Swan occurs in a letter, written by Mr. Witsen to Dr. M. Lister 

 nUniit the year 1698, which states : " Here is returned a ship, which by 

 oiu- East India Company was sent to the south land, called Hollandia 

 Nova," and mentions that Black Swans were found there. 



In 1726 two were brought alive to Batavia, which were procured 

 near Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia. We all love to read 

 ancient ornithological records. 



The first mention we have of Black Swans in Victorian watere (then 

 part of New South Wales) was, when Ba.ss bravely coasted round from 

 Sydney in an open whale-boat with six seamen and six weeks' provisions. 

 On entering Western Port, 5th Januaiy, 1798, he said — " Black Swans 

 went by hundreds in a flight. Later on when Captain Grant was 

 sui-\'eying the place in the "Lady Nelson," 1801, his people, too, "saw 

 many Swans," and " captured a couple of cygnets, one of which became 

 tame and was presented to Governor King." 



Lieutenant Murray, when discovering Port Phillip entrance, 4th 

 Februaiy, 1 802, has left on record, "Swans, Pelicans, and other birds 

 of various sorts were seen in great numbers. The boat's crew lived on 

 Swans all the time they were away. ' 



Mentioning Western Port, my genial friend the late Thomas Charles 

 King, when master of the schooner " Redwing," went into that port. 

 ISoO, and sent his ship's boat up to Yallock Creek one afternoon, which 

 returned with no less than thirty-two dozen eggs. 



At that particular creek what a joy it is, and a captivating sight for 

 an observer from land, to break cautiously through the closely-packed 

 tea-tree scnib and peep out on the waters of the Bay. Some Swans 

 arc .seen yonder on land, hardly to be distinguislied on account of their 

 sombre garb assimilating so closely the colour of the dark loamy shore ; 

 however, they may be discovered by cygnets in greyish down pattering 

 neai'. The middle distance is occupied with other Swans, with their 

 long necks gi-acefuUy curved, finding bottom for food in shoaling watei's ; 

 while beyond, far out, is a long regiment in black uniforms upon the 

 bosom of the Bay, retmiiing and advancing with the ebb and flow of 

 each recurring tide. Such a picture I have witnessed. 



Gould prociu-ed newly-hatched young at South Port River, Tasmania, 

 and took fiVe fresh eggs on Flinders Island, Bass Strait, 13th Januai-y, 

 1839. 



I found a Black Swan's nest during a trip to Riverina, 

 16th September, 1894. It contained five eggs, partly incu- 

 bated, and was placed on a fallen branch near the base of 

 a box-tree, in the centre of a lagoon, where the water was about two 

 feet deep. Tlie nest was large and broad at the base, constructed of 



