WILD SPORTS OF THE HIGHLANDS 



more permanent winter and summer occupants than they 

 have. I have no doubt that many birds who now only pass 

 a few months here, would domicile themselves entirely if 

 left in peace; and swans, instead of returning to the deserts 

 and swamps of Russia, Siberia, or Norway, would occasion- 

 ally, at least, remain here to breed, and by degrees become 

 perfectly domiciled during the whole year in some of the 

 large marshes and lakes of Scotland or Ireland, where pro- 

 per food and feeding-places could always be found by them. 

 At presentthey visit us generally about the middle of Octo- 

 ber. On their first arrival in Findhorn Bay they are some- 

 times in immense flocks. Last year I saw a flock of between 

 two and three hundred resting on the sands. After remain- 

 ing quiet till towards evening, they broke off into different 

 smaller companies, of from twenty to three or four birds in 

 each, and dispersed in different directions, all of them, how- 

 ever, inclining southwards. 



They probably return year after year to the same district 

 of country, taking with them either their own broods of the 

 season or any others that are inclined to join them. In the 

 large flock that I mentioned having seen last year, I could 

 not distinguish a single young bird.The cygnets of the wild 

 swan, like those of the tameone,are during the first season 

 ofa greyish white, and are easily distinguished amongstthe 

 dazzling white plumage of the old birds. When swans fre- 

 quent anylochnearthesea, or any chain of fresh water lakes, 

 if they are disturbed and fly either to the sea or to some ad- 

 joiningpiece of water, they keep alwaysabout the same line. 

 When once you have taken notice of the exact line of their 

 flight, it is easy to get shots bysending a person to put them 



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