308 ■ Fi.KMiNii. IXstnirtinn oj Whisllim, Swans. [AjjJ^ 



We round on Mrrivinj;- ;it tlu> Falls tjuil Mr. IlariT SclunnacUrr 

 liad arraMf>;i'(l intiM'virws with some of tlu^ |)rincij){il witiiosst's of 

 llic (ra<2,v(ly, and wv avimv able to *>vt a <;rcat deal of information 

 from Mr. Ilarrv Williams and Mr. Lrhlondc. At tlir lattor's 

 place we saw 30 swans liangino- ni nia.s.sr. Tlio sijjlit was not one 

 easily forgotten. We W(>re within a few yards of the seene of the 

 Uillinji'. it was late wIumi we reach(>d tlu> place, and at first the swans 

 .stood out as an indistinct patch of white in the surrounding; darkness, 

 hut when we were ahle to examine (he mass with the aid of lanterns 

 we nndcislood tlH> cxttMit of the tragedy that had taken place. 



( )ii (he ISth thr(H> more swans were taken; oni> of these was alive 

 and was taken to the Buffalo Zoo hy Mr. .lames Savai^e, where it 

 fully recovered. Another, Mr. Lehlonde toKI us, had taken refuije 

 in some inaccessible place ni>ar the 'Cave of the Winds' and was 

 .still alive on the 2()th. 



( )u the 22(1 (Sunday) 12 more swans cam(> over i\\v Falls; six of 

 the.se were taktMi at the liass Hock aUW, and five at the ice bridge, 

 while three were .scimi to ri,s(> from th(> water between the Falls and 

 ice bri(l<;-c and //// Ixick over the Falls and on u|) tlu- river. 



Mr. Wallace made .s(>vcral sub.s(>(iuent visits to the Falls and 

 clcai'<Ml up some doubtful |)oints; we W(M'(> also able to compare 

 our notes with tiio.se .secured by Mr. James Savage ' of Hntfalo. 

 Swans com(> over the Falls occasionally, some were taken in ll)t)() 

 and ]W~, but nothing like tlu^ present cas(^ is rcmembiM-ed by any 

 one 



In all 1 saw thirty-six birds; of the.se I was able to secure thirty- 

 thrt>e, i-esniting iu a uni(|ue .series of measurements, and adding to 

 my collection all th(> sterna, and the skins of twenty-eight birds, 

 while (iv(> wim'c lianchMl over to fritMids for mounting. A careful 

 examination of the swans showt^d that .several had broken wings, 

 others had the I'lavicK's dislocated, and in on(> or two the sternum 

 Avas crnsluMl. others had the lungs congestiMl, but it was not possible 

 to examine tlu> birds as thoroughly as 1 would hav(> wished. A 

 good many of the birds showed no signs of injury except where 

 they had been hit with clubs, or slu>t, and I am c-ertain that had 

 thev Imhmi allowed time to rcM'over from the shock thev would have 



' Sec Hullclin o( \\\v Hiiffulo Socioty of Natural ScicinH's. IX. 1!)()S. i>i). l':>-l'S, for 

 a full acioimt l>v Mr. Savasri* of this saiiu> disaster. 



