THE ZOOLOGIST. 
THIRD SERIES. 
Vou. I.] DECEMBER, 1877. [No. 12. 
THE SWANNHERY “AT ABBOTSEURY. 
By tHE Rey. ALFRED CHarurs Smitru, M.A. 
Havine searched in vain through the pages of ‘The Zoologist,’ 
and other kindred journals of Natural History, for some account 
of this interesting colony,* I have thought it might be acceptable 
to ornithologists who have never had an opportunity of seeing it 
if I jotted down a few memoranda of a delightful day which I spent 
there on the 19th July last. For, in truth, being almost, if not 
quite unique in this country,—at all events being unrivalled in 
size,—the Swannery at Abbotsbury deserves the attention of 
naturalists, and of all who delight in a beautiful and novel sight. 
Moreover, the locality is one of remarkable interest in several other 
respects ; and the archeologist, the ecclesiologist, and the geologist, 
as well as the ordinary tourist would, each in his special line, find 
himself well rewarded by a visit to it. 
Let me begin, then, by saying something of Abbotsbury. It 
lies, at the distance of some eight miles, nearly due west of Wey- 
mouth; and a wild, hilly, but picturesque drive through lanes 
abounding in a great variety of botanical species, affords excellent 
views of the famous “ Chesil Bank,” which may be seen stretching 
* Some observations on this Swannery will be found in ‘The Zoologist’ for 1865 
(p. 9671). A typographical error, however, occurs in the foot-note on that page, 
where the compositor has put “ two hundred” for “ five hundred” Swans, an error 
easily accounted for, but one which should be corrected. For other sources of 
information the reader may be referred to Hutchins, ‘History and Antiquities 
of the County of Dorset,’ 1774 (which contains a Catalogue of Dorsetshire Birds 
by Dr. Pulteney), Mr. Mansell Pleydell’s ‘ Ornithology and Conchology of the County 
of Dorset’ (pp. 3 and 41), and an accurate and interesting article in ‘Good Words’ 
for March 1st, 1867, entitled “A Visit to the Swannery.”—Ep. 
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