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U. 8. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENEPJLL REPORT. 



CYGNUS AMERICANUS, Sharpless. 



American Swan. 



? Anas colxtmHanus, Ord, Guthrie's Geog. 2d Am. Ed. II, 1815, 319 ; based on Whistling Swan, Lewis & Clark, II, 192. 

 Cygnus americanus, Sharpless, Doughty's Cab. N- H. I, 1830, 185, pi, .xvi. — Id. Am. Jour. Sc. XXII, 1831, 83 — 

 AuD. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 133 ; pi. 411. -Ib. Syn. 274.— lb. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 226 ; pl. 384- 

 Olor americanus, Bonap. Consp. Anser. Comptes Rendus, XLIII, Sept. 22, 185G. 

 Anas (Cygnus) cygnus, Bon. Specchio Comp. 237. 

 Cygnus musicus, Bonap. Syn. 1827, 379. 

 Cygnus beicickii, Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 224. 

 Cygnus ferus, Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 368. 

 Sp. Ch. — Bill as long as the head, broad, high at the base ; the ffeatliers ending on the forehead in a semi-circular outline. 

 Nostrils far forward, the anterior extremity considerably more forward than half the commissure. Tail of 20 feathers. 



Adult pure white ; bill and legs black ; the former with an orange or yellowish spot in front of the eye. Less mature speci- 

 mens with the head above tinged with reddish brown. Length, 55 inches ; wing, 22.00 ; tarsus, 4.25 ; bill above, 4.20» 

 Hab. — Continent of North America. 



The common American swan is equally abundant on both sides of the continent, as well as 

 throughout the interior. The young bird is brown, instead of white. The adult seldom, if 

 ever, is without the yellow or orange space at the base of the bill, which is otherwise black. 



List of specimens. 



CYGNUS BUCCINATOR, Rich. 



Trumpeter Swan. 



Cygnus buccinator, Rich. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 464.— Nuttall, Man. II, 1834, 370.— Aud. Orn Biog. IV, 1838, 

 536: V, 114 ; pl. 406 and pl. 376.— lis. Syn. 74.— In. Birds. Amor. VI, 1843, 219; pl. 382, 

 383.— Eyton, Mon. Anat. 1838, 100. 



Olor huccinalor, Wacler, Isis, 1832, 1234.— Eon. Comptes Rondus, XLIII, Sept. 1856. 



Sp. Oh. — Bill broad, longer than the head ; the feathers ending on the forehead in a semi-elliptical outline. The nostrils 

 with the anterior extremity as far forward only as half the commissure. Tail of 24 feathers. 



Adult pure white throughout, the bill and legs entirely black ; the bill without any red spot at the base. Loss mature speci- 

 mens with the head above tinged with reddish brown. 



Length about 60 inches ; wing, 24.00 ; bill above, 4.50 ; tarsus, 4.60. 



Hab. — Western America, from the Mississippi valley to the Pacific. 



This large and powerful swan, doubtless, has special anatomical peculiarities of trachea, to 

 distinguish it from C. americanus, as the note is much more sonorous. It is for this reason tliat it 

 is called Trumpeter, in distinction from the other, or " Whistling Swan." 



