BIRD NOTES 69 



feet?" I immediately obtained leave to cut off a 

 bit of one bird's foot, and my knife, slipping " with 

 malice aforethought," I managed to take pretty well 

 a whole foot off at once ! The pale greenish line 

 down each claw of the foot had attracted my 

 attention to the birds. Mr. Southwell's reply is 

 conclusive as to the certainty of this Swan's claim to 

 distinction as a species 



" Thanks for your letter of 31st October and for 

 the enclosures ; but I fear you will get into trouble 

 with Durrant. I am nevertheless glad to get the 

 bird's toes. I quite forgot whether I thanked you 

 for the coloured drawing of the Swan's head. It 

 appears to me very characteristic, and the foot is no 

 more like the colour of Cygnus olor than it is like a 

 Duck's." 



I have met with the Polish Swan on more than 

 one occasion. 



TRAPPING EXTRAORDINARY 



During several mild days in January 1883 Golden 

 Plovers and Lapwings congregated on the marshes 

 in some numbers, where their wariness gained them 

 immunity from mishap at the hands of the gunning 

 fraternity. But some boys, becoming conversant 



