124 SWANS. 



The Barnacle Goose {175. Bnmta lettcopsis) is an Old- World species 

 which visits Greenland regularly in the fall, and is sometimes found on our 

 coasts. It ditters from any of the preceding in having the forehead, sides of 

 the head, throat, and chin white, the lores being black. 



Subfamily Cygnince. Swans. 



Swans feed from the surface, either by "tipping" or by simply 

 immersing the long neck and head. Their food consists largely of 

 vegetable matter, but they eat also small mollusks. They migrate in 

 V-shaped flocks. When on the wing, and also when feeding, they utter 

 at times loud, trumpeting notes. When pursued they do not at once.- 

 take flight, but swim ra[)idly away, and in this manner easily distance 

 a strong rower. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES. 



A. With yellow on the lores ; distance from the eye to the nostril greater than 

 the distance from the nostril to the tip of the bill . ISO. Whistling Swan. 



B. No yellow on the lores; distance from the eye to the nostril not greater 

 than from the nostril to the end of the bill . . . 181. Trumpeter Swan. 



180* Olor columbianus (Ord). Whistling Swan. Ad. — White; 

 bill and feet black ; a small yellow spot on the lores, /m.— Head and neck 

 brownish and rest of plumage more or less washed with grayish ; bill and 

 feet light. L., 55-00; W., 22-00; Tar., 4-00. Eye to N., 2-40; N. to tip of 

 B., 2-25. 



Bange.— 'North America; breeds on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, and 

 migrates south to the Gulf of Mexico ; rare on the Atlantic coast north of 

 Chesapeake Bay. 



Washington, rare W. V., Oct. Long Island, A. V. 



JVest, of grasses, moss, etc., lined with down, on the ground near water. 

 -Eggs, two to five, soiled whitish, 4-25 x 2-70. 



This is a rare bird on the Atlantic coast north of Virginia. " When 

 feeding, or dressing their plumage, this Swan is usually very noisy, 

 and at night these clamors may be heard to the distance of several 

 miles. Their notes are varied, some resembling the lower ones made 

 by the common tin horn, others running through the various modula- 

 tions of the notes of the clarionet. These differences are presumed to 

 be dependent upon age " (B., B., and R.). 



181. Olor buccinator {Rich.). Trumpeter Swan. ^6?.— White, 

 bill and feet black, no yellow on the lores, /w.— Head and neck brownish, 

 rest of plumage more or less washed with grayish. L., G5-00 ; W., 23-00 ; Tar., 

 4-25 ; Eye to N., 2-70 ; N. to tip of B., 2-20. 



Bange.—'-'- Chiefly the interior of North America, from the Gulf coast to 

 the fur countries, breeding from Iowa and Dakota northward ; west to the 

 Pacific, but rare or casual on the Atlantic" (A. O. U.). 



Nest, of grasses and down, on the ground. Eggs, two to six, soiled whitish, 

 4-40 X 2-80. 



