MUTE SWAN. 67 



Swans pair for life, build a fresh nest each season, 

 and, if left unmolested, will keep pretty close to the same 

 locality. Adult birds invariably nest earlier than young, 

 owing chiefly, no doubt, to the advantage which an old 

 cock swan possesses over a young one, of maintaining 

 his right to any selected spot, whilst a young couple 

 just " setting-up " for themselves have many drawbacks 

 to encounter. " Might is right " in such matters, and 

 many battles have to be fought to secure a locus standi, 

 and occasionally young couples will select unfavour- 

 able sites, from which the marshmen, well knowing 

 their eggs would be stolen, drive them off as soon as 

 they commence building. A young male, though paired 

 with an old female, would have an equal difficulty in 

 holding his ground. Young hen birds'* do not lay till 

 their second year, some not until the third or fourth, and 

 commence by laying from three to five eggs. A second 

 year bird paired with a male of her own age usually 

 lays three eggs the first season, but will probably com- 

 mence with five, if paired with an old male. Com- 

 mencing with five eggs, the same bird will lay from 

 seven to nine the next season, and in the following year 

 from ten to eleven, being then in her prime, at four 

 years old. Hen birds which have not paired till their 

 third or fourth year will lay from seven to nine in their 

 first season, but, from Rich's observations, it would seem 

 that a second year female, commencing with only three 

 eggs, rarely, if ever, lays more than nine. I have 

 no reason to question the accuracy of these statistics 

 (though necessarily beyond my own cognizance), my 

 informant having been accustomed for years, in com- 

 pany with the recognised swanherd, to examine the 



* Rich was told by Trett's father that he once knew a year-old 

 cygnet lay, but he has never met with such an instance himself, 

 although adult cock swans will tread young hens only twelve- 

 months' old. 



K 2 



