MUTE SWAN. 336 



Swans, and to leave six old ones at the end of the term. 

 By the corporation books it also appears that in 1557, 



• • •^ 



■>^IO^>gD 



barley was provided for the young birds at fourteen pence 

 a bushel, and that tithes were then paid of Swans. The 

 Author learned also from the late Rev. Dr. Thackeray, 

 Provost of King's College, Cambridge, that the old Munden 

 books of that College contain entries of payments made for 

 feeding Swans. 



The most curious books on swan-marks that the Author 

 had ever seen, were two sold at Strawberry Hill in April 1842. 

 They appeared in the catalogue as, " Two books of swan- 

 marks, 8vo. on vellum, very rare." One of them contained 

 810 marks, the other 80 marks ; both books commenced 

 with a royal mark. There was no explanation or description 

 of the different marks : only the name of the party to whom 

 the mark had been appropriated, in the characters of the 

 time of Elizabeth. 



No. 9, the first swan-mark of the representations forming 

 the final vignette, is that used to mark the Swans belonging 

 to the corporation of Norwich, on the river Yare. 



No. 10 is the swan-mark of the late Bishop of Norwich, 

 formerly President of the Linnean Society, to whom the 

 Author was indebted for the following particulars in refer- 

 ence to the feeding the young Swans of the year for the 

 table. The town-clerk sends a note from the Town-hall 

 of Norwich to the public swanherd, the corporation, and 

 others, who have Swans and Swan rights. On the second 



