WATER BIRDS. 215 



arrival, on Thoresby Lake, of a pair of the Australian 

 black swans which are kept by the Duke of Portland at 

 Welbeck ; they flew very rapidly, dashing energetically 

 into the water, and continuing to dive for a minute or 

 two a habit which I never saw practised by the mute 

 swan. 



A number of the latter species were on the lake at 

 the time, but their old world notions seemed quite 

 shocked by the vigorous gambols of the colonial birds. 

 They raised their snowy pinions, and arched their necks 

 with increased dignity, as if to remind their sable rela- 

 tives that they had quite forgotten the proprieties of 

 swan life ; but they vouchsafed no further recognition 

 of them, and gradually sailed away to another part of 

 the lake. . 



The female makes use of the same spot for many 

 years in succession, and I have known three such places 

 at Thoresby which have been occupied without intermis- 

 sion for at least a dozen years. One of these is a small 

 island in the river near the house, just above where it is 

 crossed by a bridge ; the island is covered with large 

 trees, but as it is only a few yards from either bank, it 

 is very much exposed to every passer-by. Here the 

 nest is always composed of decayed sticks, which have 

 fallen from the trees, and has little else intermingled 

 with them. Two other spots in the pleasure grounds have 

 been selected for nearly an equal length of time, and 

 in both these sticks were used for the nest ; in two other 

 places it was constructed of flags and rushes if we can 

 say so of a mere heap of those materials. The female 

 alone collects the materials for her nest, the male never 

 condescending to help his partner, but contenting him- 

 self with keeping watch and ward, and is ready to do 



