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with himself, following our punt and trying to get 

 what food he could out of us. The cygnets of all 

 Swans are at first grey, except those of the Polish 

 Swan, which are white and do not assume the adult 

 plumage until they have reached their second winter. 



The particular species found on the Thames and 

 other waters in a semi-domesticated state is the Mute 

 Swan {Cy7i7is olor), and it is not certain whether the 

 Polish Swan is a distinct species or onl}^ a kind of 

 quasi -albino. 



Flying overhead all the time were the different 

 species of Hirundines, the Sand-Martins building in 

 holes along the banks, distinguished by their brown 

 colour with white fronts and by being the smallest ; 

 the Swallows, brownish-white in front with lovely 

 shotty blue upper part showing off most beautifully 

 in the sun ; and finally the Swifts (which by the way 

 are not really Swallows at all) with their forked tails, 

 and of a brownish black all over, except the young 

 ones which show a little white on each feather edge. 

 The power of flight of these birds is extraordinary, 

 and, unlike the Swallow, by reason of the shortness 

 of their legs they are never seen to settle voluntarily 

 on the ground or perch on telegraph wires, &c. It was 

 most interesting to watch the Swallows catching 

 flies, some of them suddenly darting forth and almost 

 touching the water, others quite touching it and then 

 coming up into the air again to fly about in circles as 

 it appeared, often when flying coming so near that 

 one distinctly heard a whirr and turned aside to avoid 

 being hit. 



Continuing along the banks we passed the homes 

 of many water fowl among the reeds and sedges, 



