468 BIRDS OF SOMERSETSHIRE. 



reeds, stalks of water-plants and leaves, being lined 

 with cotton aud feathers.* 



The following description is taken from Yarrell : 

 " The beak in the centre is pale brown, the nail, the 

 margins and the base dark brown ; the hides wax- 

 yellow ; round the eye a patch of chesnut-brown ; 

 cheeks and sides of the neck pale rufous-white ; 

 forehead, crown of the head, back of the neck, back, 

 scapulars and tail- coverts rich reddish brown ; the 

 carpal portion of the wing, the smaller and larger 

 wing- co verts white, the smaller coverts tipped with 

 black ; the wing-primaries almost black, tinged with 

 green ; the secondaries tinged with reddish bay and 

 edged with chesnut ; the lower part of the back, the 

 rump and the tail nearly black ; the front of the 

 neck, the breast and upper part of the belly pale 

 rufous-brown ; a patch on the breast chesnut-brown ; 

 lower part of the belly and vent pale brown ; legs 

 and feet pink." 



The eggs are of a dull white, tinged with buff. 



WILD SWAN or HOOPER, Cygnusferus. Both this 

 and the next mentioned and very similar species, 

 Bewick's Swan, occasionally occur in this county, 

 especially in severe winters. Montagu mentions an 

 instance of this Swan having been shot near Bridg- 

 water in the year 1805 ; and one of a pair that made 

 their appearance in thes3 ponds was shot by my 



* Meyer's ' British Birds,' vol. vi., p. 45. 



