Mr. Blackwall on the Cygnus Bewickii. 18.9 



Art. XXIX. Observations on a newly -described Species of 

 Swan. By John Blackwall, Esq., F.L.S., S)C. 



The London Literary Gazette, published on the 23rd of January, 

 contains the following notice, under the head " Linnean Society," pages 

 56, 57. " Another interesting communication, from the pen of WiUiam 

 *' Yarrel], Esq., F. L. S., &c., was also read ; it was on a new species of 

 " Wild Swan, taken in England, and hitherto confounded with the 

 " Hooper, The scientific author in this paper observed, that European 

 " naturalists had as yet admitted but one Wild Swan in their systematic 

 " catalogues ; repeated dissections, however, convinced him of the ex- 

 " istence of a second species. The new Swan was represented as one- 

 " third smaller than the Hooper, but very similar to that well-known 

 " bird in its external characters. In their internal structure they were 

 " stated to be decidedly different; and the comparative anatomy of both 

 " was detailed at some length. A preserved bird of both species, and 

 " several prepared parts of each, as well as numerous drawings, were on 

 " the table, in illustration of the subject. The various anatomical pecu- 

 " liarities of this new species were considered highly interesting, and the 

 " proofs of distinction conclusive." 



From an examination of the various specimens of Swans contained in 

 the Manchester Museum, two of which are Whistling Swans, or Hoopers, 

 one in mature and the other in immature plumage, and a third is of the 

 kind so recently described by Mr. Yarrell, I have, for several years past, 

 strongly suspected that there are two distinct species of the genus Cygnus 

 which occasionally visit this country. But, notwithstanding the compara- 

 tively small size of the last-mentioned bird, its more clumsy figure, and 

 the snowy whiteness of its plumage, which indicates maturity, its general 

 appearance bears so striking a resemblance to that of the Hooper, that I 

 hesitated to announce it as a new species previously to my having made 

 myself acquainted in some measure with its habits and internal organiza- 

 tion, no opportunity of investigating which had hitherto presented itself. 



My attention has again been directed to this interesting subject, and 

 my former suspicion corroborated, by a remarkable circumstance that 



