74 INDIAN SPOKTING BIEDS 



breeding season chiefly in the Arctic liegions, both in Europe 

 and Asia ; but it breeds as near and as far south, apparently, 

 as Seistan, and also nests in Greenland, though not on the 

 American continent. In Iceland it is well known as a nesting 

 species. In winter it regularly comes as far south as Southern 

 Europe in the West, and Corea in the East. 



Its general habits are similar to those of the mute swan, but 

 it comes ashore to graze more, and is not so awkward a walker. 



Bewick's S>van. 



Gygnus hewicki. 



Bewick's swan is so very like the whooper that it requires a 

 fairly near view to differentiate them, for though Bewick's is a 

 considerably smaller bird, this cannot be appreciated unless there 

 are facilities for comparison, and dimensions vary in both 

 species ; while of course detailed examination is necessary 

 correctly to observe the distribution of black and yellow on the 

 bill, w4]ich furnishes the most reliable distinction. Bewick's 

 swan, like the whooper, has the face and base of the bill yellow, 

 but the yellow is confined to this part of the bill, all the rest 

 being black from the nostrils to the tip, as is also in some cases 

 the ridge of the bill between the nostrils and the forehead. The 

 yellow generally stops short at or before the basal end of the 

 nostrils, all across the beak, and never extends below the further 

 end of them and even beyond that, as it does in the whooper. 

 The young birds in this species are grey, and have flesh-colour 

 on the bill where the old ones are yellow ; the weight is up to 

 twelve pounds, little smaller than some whoopers. The first 

 undoubted Indian example of Bewick's swan was recorded by 

 Mr. E. C. S. Baker, in the Bombay Natural History Society's 

 Journal in 1908, vol. xvni. It was a fine adult bird, and had 

 been killed at Jacobabad, by Mr. McCulloch. In the winter of 

 1910-1911, two more specimens turned up, one near Mardan, 

 and another at Campbellpur, on December 30 and January 2 

 respectively; both were adults apparently, and the exceptional 

 cold then prevailing no doubt, as Mr. Baker suggested in record- 



