468 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 
reeds, stalks of water-plants and leaves, being lined 
with cotton aud feathers.* 
The following description is taken from Yarrell :— 
“The beak in the centre is pale brown, the nail, the 
margins and the base dark brown; the irides wax- 
yellow; round the eye a patch of chesnut-brown; 
cheeks and sides of the neck pale rufous-white ; 
forehead, crown of the head, back of the neck, back, 
scapulars and tail-coverts rich reddish brown; the 
carpal portion of the wing, the smaller and larger 
wing-coverts white, the smaller coverts tipped with 
black ; the wing-primaries almost black, tinged with 
green; the secondaries tinged with reddish bay and 
edged with chesnut; the lower part of the back, the 
rump and the tail nearly black; the front of the 
neck, the breast and upper part of the belly pale 
rufous-brown ; a patch on the breast chesnut-brown ; 
lower part of the belly and vent pale brown; legs 
and feet pink.” 
The eggs are of a dull white, tinged with buff. 
Wiup Swan or Hooprer, Cygnus ferus. Both this 
and the next mentioned and very similar species, 
Bewick’s Swan, occasionally occur in this county, 
especially in severe winters. Montagu mentions an 
instance of this Swan having been shot near Bridg- 
water in the year 1805; and one of a pair that made 
their appearance in thes? ponds was shot by my 
** Meyer's ‘ British Birds,’ vol. vi., p. 45. 
