198 Among the Birds in Northern Shires. 



tions of such a spot. Here also dwell the stately 

 Swans, half-domesticated it is true, yet none the 

 less ornamental for that. These birds mate for life, 

 and are apparently much attached to each other. 

 They always select the tiny islet in the pool for 

 their domestic arrangements; and on this in April 

 they construct a big nest of straw and sticks and 

 other rubbish, in which the hen bird lays her massive 

 pale-green eggs. At first the young birds are 

 brown and dingy looking; nor do they acquire that 

 pure white dress characteristic of their parents until 

 the following autumn. 



In a previous chapter we dealt at some length 

 with the bird-life of Sherwood Forest. We will 

 now return to that area in order to make a brief 

 survey of the birds that frequent some of the pools 

 in the vicinity of the Dukeries, round about Clumber 

 and Newstead. It would be difficult to find a more 

 suitable place for Ducks throughout the length and 

 breadth of England than some of the charming rush- 

 fringed ponds that are such a feature of this part of 

 Nottinghamshire. They afford plenty of cover and 

 food, not only the ponds themselves but the streams 

 and marshes by which many of them are joined 

 together, and above all they are well watched by 

 vigilant keepers, so that the birds are practically 

 safe from molestation during the nesting season. 

 Here may the habits of the Tufted Duck be studied 



