4270 TuHE ZooLocist—JANUARY, 1875. 
observed three swans feeding in a shallow burn that emptied itself 
into the sea just before him. One of the three, of a more inquiring 
turn of mind than the others, leisurely walked into a short covered 
drain which conducted the waters of the burn beneath a road that 
passed between the fisherman’s residence and the sea. “Oh, ho!” 
cries the fisherman, “ here’s a chance!” so he ran to one end of the 
drain and stationed his boy at the other end, and between them 
the swan was made a captive. Its wings were forthwith clipped, 
and it was shut up in the byre: for three days it sulked and refused 
all sustenance excepting cold water; on the fourth it partook of a 
more solid refection, and from that time there was no difficulty in 
getting it to feed. 
“In about a fortnight it had become so tame that it was allowed to 
wander within the enclosure; and soon afterwards, it having become very 
gentle and familiar, no further restraint appeared necessary, and it was per- 
mitted to go where it pleased. It associated freely with the tame geese, but 
the two species never agreed well, and the swan was often seen with lowered 
bill and waving wings in full pursuit of some offending member of the flock. 
It spent a great deal of its time floating upon the sea or wandering up the 
burns, but never more would it venture into the drain which had been the 
scene of its capture. What it fed upon at these times was never*ascertained, 
but it was very fond of grain, boiled potatoes, cabbage or turnips; yet to all 
these it preferred oatmeal-porridge, especially when, in times of plenty, a little 
whey or butter-milk could be also spared. It was extremely cleanly in its 
habits, nearly always going down to the sea or to the burn after a meal, and 
there spending a considerable time in swimming and washing its plumage. 
After awhile it learnt to understand and to wait for its call to food, to which 
it would hurry with eagerness; but it refused to respond for several weeks 
after having once been disappointed. It was remarkably attached to one of 
the elder boys, by whom it was treated with more than ordinary kindness, 
but who, poor fellow, doubtless thought that a friendship might occasionally 
prove too warm, when, on entering the kirk rather behind time one Sunday, 
he was horrified on making the discovery that his favourite had followed him 
to his seat. 
‘Among the bird’s few antipathies, the chief one was its dislike to bare 
feet, whether upon man, woman, or child, and upon such it would occa- 
sionally make serious attacks with its bill. Its own feet, it may here be 
observed, were not disfigured by any of the marks previously referred to, 
thus inducing the conclusion that it had not escaped from confinement. It 
also greatly disliked the colour of scarlet. This, however, was attributable 
to the fact that, soon after its capture, a woman wishing to remove it from 
