214 ANATID^. 



In Archseologia, or miscellaneous tracts relating to anti- 

 quity, published by the Society of Antiquaries of London, 

 vol. 16, 1812, Ordinances respecting Swans on the river 

 Witham, in the county of Lincoln ; together with an 

 original roll of ninety-seven swan-marks, appertaining to 

 the proprietors on the said stream, were communicated 

 by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. K.B. P.R.S. 

 and F.S.A. 



" These are the ordinances made the 24th day of May, 

 1 524, in the fifteenth year of the reign of our Sovereign 

 Lord King Henry the Eighth, by the Lord Sir Christopher 

 Willuby, Sir Edward Dimock, and others, Justices of 

 Peace and Commissioners, appointed by our Sovereign 

 Lord the King, for the confirmation and preservation of 

 His Highness Game of Swans, and Signets, of his stream 

 of Witham, within his county of Lincoln, &c. from a 

 Breges, called Boston Breges, unto the head of the said 

 stream." 



A true copy of the Parchment Roll being too long, a 

 few only of the particulars are here inserted. 



No persons having Swans could appoint a new swanherd 

 without the king's swanherd's licence. 



Every swanherd on the stream was bound to attend 

 upon the king's swanherd upon warning, or suffer fine. 



The king's swanherd was bound to keep a book of swan- 

 marks, and no new marks were permitted to interfere with 

 old ones. 



Owners of Swans and their swanherds were registered 

 in the king's swanherd's book. 



The marking of the cygnets was generally performed in 

 the presence of all the swanherds on that stream, and on 

 a particular day or days, of which all had notice. Cygnets 

 received the mark found on the parent birds, but if the old 



