430 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



Though not so abundant as the preceding species, Bewick's 

 Swan is met with in most seasons as a winter visitant, and 

 under circumstances similar to those connected, or associated 

 with the visits of its congener. It appears in some years in 

 small numbers in the Tees and Humber estuaries, and in 

 1865, in the latter locality, several small flocks were observed. 

 In the winter of 1870-71 two flocks, containing nine and 

 twenty-two birds respectively, were seen on the river Hull, 

 one specimen being examined by Mr. F. Boyes {Zool. 1871, 

 p. 2644). At the Teesmouth, in the winter of 1876, an example, 

 in my possession, was killed by a wildfowler in ambush, from 

 a herd of about a dozen individuals which flew close over the 

 shooter's head. Mr. Claude Pease obtained one on the 

 sands at Marske, during a fog, in the winter of 1897, and at 

 other coast stations it occasionally occurs, but is, generally 

 speaking, considered rare. 



It is also met with on fresh water in various inland districts, 

 as Sheffield, Skipton-on-Swale, Masham, and Beverley. A 

 specimen in the York Museum was shot on Strensall Common 

 in February 1879, from a herd of eleven, by Col. Hill ; in 

 the neighbourhood of East Cottingwith this species has 

 been recorded on several occasions since 1849 5 ^'^r- F. W. 

 Horsfall procured two there in December 1902, and another 

 was taken at the same place in the following March. 



MUTE SWAN. 



Cygnus olor {y. F. Gnielin). 



A domesticated species, but wild individuals may occasionally 

 occur on migration from Continental Europe. 



Historically speaking, the Mute Swan is of great antiquity 

 as a Yorkshire bird, for we find in the Selby Abbey accounts 

 in 1431-32 it was mentioned ; also at the marriage feast of 

 the daughter of Sir John Neville of Chevet, near Wakefield, 

 in 1526, Swans were included in the good things provided ; 



