ANATID^, 119 



and the harder the weather the more numerous Is the 

 species. This bird is more common in the northern 

 parts of our island than in the southern counties ; 

 nevertheless a few specimens are procured every 

 now and then, even in localities at some distance from 

 the sea. 



I received the following letter from ' a Windsor lad 

 of 1 83 1 :' — * I remember about twenty-five years back 

 a Mr. Hughes, connected with the Royal household? 

 and well known in Windsor as ' old Buffy Hughes,' 

 shooting in the neighbourhood of Clewer Point, 

 Windsor, a couple of Hoopers or Wild Swans ; and I 

 well remember that one was converted into soup, and 

 most of the people who partook of it were very much 

 disturbed in their internal economy.' 



In the winter of 1835, a man named Kitson shot a 

 Hooper near Eton, which was taken home by him and 

 cooked for supper. Another was killed by Mr. G. S. 

 Lillywhite, of Eton Wick, about the year 1837, on a 

 piece of ground known as Aldridge's Copse. Some 

 were procured, twenty years since, in the neighbour- 

 hood of Burnham, by Mr. Howard of that village. In 

 the winter of 1862, a couple of Hoopers were killed at 

 Wraysbury, and stuffed by Mr. Hasell, of Windsor, 

 Another specimen was shot on the river in the winter 

 of 1865-66. Others have been brought at various 

 times to the Eton and Windsor birdstuffers, but the 

 dates of their occurrence have been forgotten. 



I am told by Mr. D. Mackenzie, that seven were 



