1 68 THE FOWLER IN IRELAND. 



Polish Swan, which differs from the rest in being 

 white from the nest to maturity, the young of other 

 species being grey the first two years, and then 

 known as cygnets. Wild swans sit like geese, and 

 never appear so ornamental as tame ones. They 

 lack the graceful curving neck, so pleasing to the 

 eye in the Mute species ; and which in the wild bird 

 is borne aloft stiff and straight. 



Many fowlers look upon the tame swan and 

 the farmyard goose as equally domesticated, not 

 aware that the former is essentially a wild bird ; 

 tamed it is true, but in shape and habit exactly 

 similar to those of the same species in the par- 

 ticular country where it is found. Wild swans 

 have often, to my knowledge, decoyed tamed birds 

 away from ponds never to return. I doubt not, 

 from long sluggishness and lazy feeding, the wing- 

 power of the domesticated species is much impaired. 

 Now and then Mute Swans drop exhausted on the 

 coast, having so far followed their betrayers as to 

 become an easy prey to the local fowlers who may 

 care to shoot them. I have several notes of such 

 fatalities. On other occasions they have been 

 noticed flying seaward with their wild companions, 

 to meet an unknown fate. 



The Hooper, or Great Swan, I consider far rarer 

 in Ireland than Bewick's. Out of many scores seen 

 and- shot, I have found but a small proportion 

 of the former. I have seldom met with a dozen 

 Hoopers together ; this being a small number for 

 the other species. Thirty to fifty Bewick's in a 

 herd are not uncommon on the estuaries and lakes 

 near the coast. Mr. Pike, of Achill, told me that 



