156 BIRDS OP THE HTJMBER DISTRICT. 



In the autumn of 1864 an entire flock, consisting 

 of six immature birds in the brown plumage, was ob- 

 tained by a single gunner off the coast opposite Great 

 Cotes. On the first shot one was left wounded and 

 struggling upon the water ; the remainder then flew 

 round and round the place, sometimes alighting near 

 their wounded comrade, till at last all were killed. 



Mr. Boyes has recorded in the 'Zoologist' for 1871, 

 p. 2644, a remarkably late stay of this species; 

 writing April 20th, he says, " Three Hoopers, the 

 remains of a flock of seventeen which have frequented 

 a sheet of water in this neighbourhood a great part 

 of the winter, are still staying, and seem quite at home, 

 coming regularly with the tame ones to feed/' 



The cry of the wild Swan is extremely wild and 

 musical. Some years since, during the prevalence of 

 a severe " blast," I saw forty-two of these noble birds 

 pass over our marshes, flying in the same familiar 

 arrow-head formation as wild Geese use a sight 

 not to be forgotten, not alone for their large size and 

 snowy whiteness, but their grand trumpet notes. Now 

 single, clear, distinct, clarion-like, as a solitary bugle 

 sounds the ' ' advance " or the tongue of some old 

 hound, uplifted when the pack runs mute with a 

 breast-high scent; then, as if in emulation of their 

 leader's note, the entire flock would burst into a 

 chorus of cries, which, floating downwards on the still 

 frosty air, had every possible resemblance to the music 

 of a pack of fox-hounds in full cry sounds which 



