WHOOPEK SWAN 79 



then repeated. I have heard Wild Swans (presumably 

 Whoopers), whistling on a migration-night overhead, along 

 the Dublin coast. JDuring the snowy weather of February, 

 1900, Mr. F. H. W^alker of Dublin drew my attention at 

 dusk, to a loud whistling cry syllabled as already described. 

 We heard the voices sounding from a great height in the air 

 over Clontarf estuary, near Dublin. It was an intensely 

 cold evening and the biting north wind was blowing half 

 a gale. Now and again the whistling seemed as though 

 produced close to us, the storm wafting it to our ears. The 

 cry was not unmusical though rather clanging in character. 

 We were of the opinion that a flock of Whooper Swans 

 was passing by. 



Fo)d. The Whooper feeds largely on aquatic vegetables, 

 including roots and seeds : it also eats insects, water-snails, 

 and other shell-fish. 



Nest. The nest, which is very large, is usually placed 

 on the ground, often on an island in a lake ; it is composed 

 of coarse grasses and other materials. 



The eggs, four to seven in number, are of a cream-colour 

 with rough shells. Incubation begins about the last week 

 in May. 



Geographical distribution. The Whooper Swan breeds 

 in many parts of Arctic Europe and Asia, including Iceland, 

 Finland, Lapland, Norway, Sweden, Northern Russia and 

 Siberia. A little over a hundred years ago it nested in the 

 Orkneys. On migration, it reaches the waters of Europe, 

 North Africa and Asia, as far east as Japan and China. 



DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERS. 



PLUMAGE. Adult male nuptial. Completely white ; the 

 head sometimes exhibiting a faintly yellowish tinge. 



Adult female nuptial. Similar in plumage to the male. 



Adult winter, male and female. Similar to the nuptial 

 plumage. 



Immature, male and female. Head, neck, back and 

 wings, brownish ; breast and greater -part of abdomen, pale 

 brown ; lower abdomen, white. 



BEAK. Basal part deep yellow, this colour extending in 

 front of the nostrils; rest of beak, black. 



FEET. Blackish. 



IKIDES. Dark brown. 



