BIRDS OF GUERNSEY. 159 



that had strayed away from the Swannery at 

 Ahbotsbury, on the opposite coast of Dorset, where 

 some three hundred and fifty pairs still breed 

 annually. I have myself seen as many six hun- 

 dred and thirty birds there, the hens sitting and 

 the old males each resting quietly by the nest, 

 keeping guard over the female and the eggs. 

 The distance from the Abbotsbury Swannery, which 

 is at the extreme end of the Chesil Beach, in 

 Dorsetshire, to Guernsey is nothing great for 

 Swans to wander ; and they often, both old and 

 young (after the young are able to fly), wander away 

 from their home as far as Exmouth on one side 

 and Weymouth Bay or the Needles on the other ; 

 and an expedition to Guernsey would be little 

 more than to one of these places, and by September 

 the young, which are generally hatched tolerably 

 early in June (I have seen a brood out with their 

 parents on the water as early as the 27th of May), 

 would be perfectly able to wander, either by them- 

 selves or with their parents, as far as the Channel 

 Islands, and, as at this time they rove about outside 

 the Chesil Beach a good deal, going sometimes a 

 long way out to sea, there is no reason they should 

 not do so. It seems a great pity that these fine 

 birds should be shot when they wander across 

 channel to Guernsey, especially when it must be 

 apparent to every one that they are really private 

 property. If the present long close season is to be 



