108 HISTORY OF THE 



Olor buccinator (Rich.). 



TRUMPETER SWAN. 



Migratory; not uncommon. Arrive about tlie firct of March. 



B. 562. R. 589. C. 688. G. 275, 48. U. 181. 



Habitat. Chiefly the interior of IS^orth America, west to the 

 Pacific coast, but rare or casual on the Atlantic; south in winter 

 to California and the Gulf coast; breeding from Iowa and 

 Idaho north, to within the Arctic circle. 



Sp. Char. "Tail of usually twenty-four feathers; bill longer thau the head. 

 Adult: Plumage entirely pure white, the head, sometimes the ueelc also or even 

 the entire lower parts, tinged with rusty. Bill, naked lores, legs and feet uniform 

 deep black; iris brown. Young: In winter the young has the bill black, with 

 the middle portion of the ridge to the length of an inch and a half liglit flesh 

 color, and a large elongated patch of light dull purple on each side; the edge of 

 the lower mandible and the tongue dull yellowish flesh color. The eye is dark 

 brown. The feet are dull yellowish brown, tinged with olive; the claws brown- 

 ish black; the webs blackish brown. The upper part of the head and the 

 cheeks are light reddish brown, each feather having toward its extremity a 

 small obloug whitish spot, narrowly margined with dusky; the throat nearly 

 white, as well as the edge of the lower eyelid. The general color of the other 

 parts is grayish white, slightly tinged with yellow; the upper part of the neck 

 marked with spots similar to those on the head. 



"The arrangement of the traciiea in this species is very different from that 

 in 0. columhianus, in having, besides the horizontal bend, a vertical flexure, oc- 

 cupying a prominent protuberance on the anterior portion of the dorsal aspect 

 of the sternum. 



"Total length, about 58.50 to 68.00 inches; extent, about 8.00 to nearly 10.00 

 feet; wing, 21.00 to 27.25 inches; culmen (from frontal feathers), 4.34 to 4.70; 

 tarsus, 4.54 to 4.92; middle toe, 6.00 to 6.50." 



This large, graceful bird, whose loud clarion voice announces 

 its presence, is similar in habits to the Whistling Swan. It is 

 one of the first migrants to reach its breeding grounds. Lays 

 from five to seven eggs, of a dull white color with a buff discol- 

 oration. A set of two eggs, collected by Mr. MacFariane, at 

 Franklin Bay, Arctic coast, measure: 4.43x3.06, 4.51x2.88; in 

 form, oval. 



