MUTE SWAN. 75 



senting, in fact, the "ugly duckling" of Hans Andersen's 

 charming story, that they are in request, at the present 

 day, for edible purposes. The assumption of the white 

 plumage seems to be very gradual, and the change 

 in the colour of the dark feathers at the same period 

 is likewise remarkable, being latterly more of a light 

 reddish brown than grey. A dozen birds in the St. 

 Helen's Swan-pit, in February, 1873, all hatched in 

 the previous summer, exhibited a strangely mottled 

 appearance, no two birds being alike in their state 

 of change. In some the white feathers were thickly 

 sprinkled amongst the brown ones on the back, in 

 others the brown was limited to the secondaries and 

 upper tail coverts, and the most forward bird was already 

 becoming pink on the upper mandible, in contrast to 

 the other "blue beaks." In all, the breast and under 

 parts of the plumage appeared to be pure white, their 

 heads and necks having still a greyish tinge, darkest 

 on the crown ; but with a soiled look, as if partly due 

 to their close confinement. 



It is by no means unusual, throughout the summer 

 months, to find a school of from ten to fourteen swans 

 on the Yare, between Surlingham and Coldham Hall, 

 consisting of second year birds in their white plumage, 

 and a few older, distinguished by the colour of their 

 bills, which may either have had their eggs destroyed, 

 or from some cause have not paired for that season. 

 These, though differing in age, seem to agree* fairly 

 amongst themselves, but it is amusing to see them, when 

 drifted by the tide, in feeding, past the territory of 

 an old cock swan attending his mate, scattered in all 

 directions by the vigorous onset of that pater familias, 

 a very host in himself, in his pride and gallantry. 



There is one feature, also, in the adult plumage 

 of the domestic swan, which it possesses in common 

 with the two preceding species, in their wild state 

 L 2 



