AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 153 



they took their departure directly they caught sight 

 of me." This concluding sentence certainly proves 

 that the visitors were not tame in the primary sense 

 of the word, but is not conclusive as to their species ; 

 on this subject, however, I consider that the fact of 

 their ' calling ' is sufficient proof that they were not 

 Mute Swans, and my informant has given me details 

 as to size that render me equally sure that they were 

 not Bewick's Swans. My personal acquaintance 

 with the Whooper in freedom is of the very smallest, 

 but I have kept a few of these birds on the ponds at 

 Lilford ; in general habits they resemble the better 

 known Mute Swan, but, so far as I know, they do 

 not sail about the water with their wings raised as 

 the latter bird so frequently does, and generally 

 carry their heads without any bend of the neck. 

 Two of these birds now (1890) in my possession, 

 last year made two large platforms in the sweet 

 sedge that grows around their pond, and became 

 exceedingly savage with the other waterfowl, but did 

 not finish a nest, or, as far as we could discover, lay 

 any egg. The Whooper breeds in Iceland, certain 

 localities in Scandinavia, and Northern Asia, and in 

 the winter is to be met with irregularly on all parts 

 of the European coasts of the Atlantic as well as 

 throughout the Mediterranean and Black Sea. In 

 Asia it is said to be " common in cold weather in 

 Japan and China, and to have occurred in Nepal." In 

 the situation and construction of its nest this species 

 seems to differ little from the Mute Swan, but the 

 eggs are said seldom to exceed 6 or 7 in number, 

 and have not the green tinge of those of that species. 

 As I never had the opportunity of acquiring much 

 knowledge of the manners and customs of the 



