228 ANATJM. 



the well-known inn, the Swan with Two Necks, was a 

 member of the Vintners' Company. 



No. 16 is the Royal swan-mark of our Most Gracious 

 Queen Victoria. This mark has been used through the 

 reigns of George the Third, George the Fourth, and Wil- 

 liam the Fourth, to the present time. 



By the kindness of a friend I have been favoured with 

 an account of the whole number of old and young Swans 

 belonging to Her Majesty, and the two Companies, at the 

 Swan voyage, in August, 1841. 



OLD SWANS. CYGNETS. TOGETHER. 



Her Majesty 185 47 232 



The Yintners' Company 79 21 100 



The Dyers' Company 91 14 105 



355 82 437 



But the numbers formerly were much greater ; at one 

 period, the Vintners' Company alone possessed five hun- 

 dred birds. 



In the language of swanherds, the male Swan is called 

 a Cob, the female a Pen : these terms refer to the com- 

 parative size and grade of the two sexes; the young, 

 during their first year, are called Cygnets ; during the 

 second, Grey-birds ; afterwards, their plumage being per- 

 fact, White Swans. The black tubercle at the base of the 

 beak is called the berry, and a Swan without any mark on 

 the beak is said to be clear-billed. 



For a reference to the various statutes, laws, orders, 

 &c., on Swans and swan-marks, see the article Swan, 

 written by Mr. Sergeant Manning, in the Penny Cyclo- 

 paedia, from which I have made some short extracts. 



