86 
THE AMERICAN SWAN. 
(Cygnus AMERICANUS.) 
Rejected from the B.O.U. List, 
which says that none have been recorded since Mc.Gil- 
livray obtained it from a poulterer, in 1841, in Edinburgh. 
Five birds were found in a poulterer’s shop, in Edin- 
burgh, December 26th, 1879, which were stated, on dis- 
section, to be ‘Americanus’; the difficulty which arose as 
to the correctness of the diagnosis does not seem to have 
been disposed of as yet. 
The writer in the ‘‘'Glasgow Natural History Pro- 
ceedings” says that ‘C. Bewicki’ is probably the rarer; zf 
they can be separated ; the measurements of ‘Americanus’ 
are the largest, including the beak of the young bird. 
Not admitted by Saunders, 
to place and picture, who however does not give any opinion 
upon the atscrimination of Mc.Gilhivray ; at any rate 
that occurrence was before the days when birds were brought 
over from America packed 1 tce. 
Mr. Seebchm says “tt has possibly greater claims to 
be regarded as British than ‘ Bucctnator.” 
An egg I received was taken by Mr. J. H. Adams 
from a nest containing four eggs, on the Anderson River, 
on June 27th, 1882, it was dirty white ; and of the same 
dimensions with ‘C. Buccinator’; both being rather smal- 
ler than the egg of the Whooper. 
Dr. Coues says the egg is 44 to 4 inches in length. 
Davie gives the size 4 by 2.50 inches. 
