67.5 



CYGNUS AMERICANUS. THE AMERICAN SWAN. 



Cygnus Americanus. American Wild Swan. Dr. Sharpless, Amer. Journ. 



Sc. and Arts, vol. XXII. 

 American Swan. Cygnus Americanus. Audubon, Amer. Ornith. Biogr. 



V. 133; Birds of America, pi. 411. 



Adult male about fifty-four inches long, eighty-five in 

 extent of wings ; bill from the joint to the tip of the upper 

 mandible three inches and f our -twelfth s , its greatest width 

 near the end an inch and a quarter ; from the eye to the tip 

 of the bill four inches and nine-twelfths ; tarsus four inches; 

 middle toe four inches and three-fourths, its claw ten-twelfths ; 

 tail of twenty feathers, moderately rounded; bill and bare 

 space on the fore part of the head black, with an oblong 

 orange patch, never more than cm inch in length, between the 

 eye and the base of the bill; feet black; plumage pure white, 

 the head tinged with orange-red. Female similar to the male, 

 but considerably smaller. Young at first with the bill reddish- 

 white, brown at the end; the feet light grey ; the plumage of 

 a deep leaden tint. In winter with the bill flesh-coloured, 

 dusky toivard the end; the feet dusky, the plumage light 

 bluish-grey ; the upper part of the head dusky grey, the 

 feathers margining the forehead and cheeks reddish. 



The occurence of a single individual of this species, an 

 immature male, in the south of Scotland, has induced me to 

 present a somewhat detailed history of it, such as may prove 

 useful to those who may chance to meet with other speci- 

 mens. The following descriptions are entirely original, being 

 taken from an adult male presented to me by Mr. Audubon, 

 and an entire female preserved in spirits : — 



Male in Winter. — The body is of an elliptical, some- 



