894 SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. - LA MELLIROSTRES — AN SERES. 



of authors), which is wliite except as said, and has the bill knobbed. Coscoroba coscoroba, 

 Candida, or anatdides of the same country, a white species with black-tipped wings and feath- 

 ered lores, often referred here, is perhaps better placed among Anatince. In none of these 

 three named does the trachea enter the breast-bone. Palceocygmcs falconeri is a large fossil 

 species from Malta. Our two native species, like our straggler from Europe, belong to the 

 restricted genus Olor, distinguished from Cygnus proper by having sternal convolutions of the 

 trachea, but no tubercle at base of bill (seen in fig. 624). 



CYG'NUS. (Gr. kvkvos, kuknos, Lat. cijcnus or cygnus, a swan.) White Swans. Neck of 

 extreme length. Trachea entering sternum (except in one species). Bill tuberculate (iu 

 Cygnus proper) or not (in Olor), the skinny covering iu adults reaching eyes; not shorter than 

 head, very high at base, where deeper than wide, broader and flattening toward the rounded 

 end; culminal ridge at base about horizontal, very broad and flat or even excavated; sides of 



Fig. C25. — Trumpeter Swan. (From " Wild Fowl of North America," by D. G. Elliot.) 



bill there nearly vertical. Nostrils near middle of bill, high up. Legs behind centre of equi- 

 librium when the body is horizontal. Tibiae bare below. Tarsus shorter than middle toe and 

 claw, entirely reticulate ; toes long, with full webs, the anterior reticulate on top for a distance, 

 then scutellate. Hallux small, elevate, with slight lobe. Wings very long and ample. Tail 

 short, rounded (in Olor) or wedged (in Cygnus proper), of 20 or 24 feathers. Size large: 

 adults entirely white, with black bill and feet, former usually in part yellow; young rusty on 

 head ; younger gray or ashy. Sexes alike. Our species 4-5 feet long. They all belong to 

 Olor, having a convoluted trachea, non -tuberculate bill, rounded tail, the young with down on 

 sides of bill forming distinct antiae ; and inner webs of outer 3 primaries, with outer webs of 

 2d, 8d, and 4th, sinuated. The type of Cygnus proper of authors (after Bechstein, 1803) is 

 the Tame or Mute Swan of Europe, whose ^ is a Cob, 9 a Pen: it is variously called 

 C. mansuetiis, C gibbus, C. olor, C- mutus, C sibilus, and l)y other names ; this is the Swan 

 with a red bill and black knob (the " berry "). The unfortunate way in which the generic 



