1877.] MR. J. H. GURNEY ON THE POLISH SWAN. 379 



5. Note on the Polish Swan. By J. H. Gurney, F.Z.S. 



[Eeceived June 5th, 1877.] 



On the 12th April, 1876, the female of a pair of " Polish Swans," 

 received by me some weeks previously from the Gardens of this 

 Society, completed laying a clutch of six eg^s and commenced her 

 incubation — there being no other Swans in this parish (Northrepps), 

 and consequently no possibility of intermixture. 



On the 2)st and 22nd May the eggs were hatched, with the ex- 

 ception of one that was addled. I saw the cygnets on the 23rd, and 

 made the following note respecting their coloration : — " Tlie upper 

 parts are brownish grey with a slight rufous tinge ; the head, throat, 

 and breast, where visible above the water, are white, but the white is 

 not separated from the grey by any defined line, the two tints 

 gradually blending into each other." On the 2nd June they were 

 visited by an ornithological friend, Mr. Thomas Southwell, who 

 described them at that date in the following words : — "The buff' 

 tinge was hardly yjerce|)tible, except on the back, which appeared of 

 a rich creamy buff, with the underparts nearly pure white." Mr. 

 Southwell brought with him for comparison the skin of an ordinary 

 cygnet of similar age, which was about equally white on the head 

 and underparts, but decidedly greyer on the back, and without 

 any drab tint, according to a memorandum which I made at the 

 time. 



On the 7th June I made the following note : — " The cygnets 

 seem to be gradually losing their drab tint on the back, tliough it is 

 still visible, but it seems to be merging into a pale grey, almost 

 white ; a j)ure wliite spot, about the size of a pea, is conspicuous on 

 the down of the forehead immediately above the bill. 



On the 17th June the largest of the five cygnets was killed by a 

 rat, which devoured the liead, neck, and part of the back ; the down 

 on the remaining portion of the bird was pure white, the bill and 

 I'^et being pale greenish-grey. On the 22nd I had a close view of 

 the remaining four cygnets : their heads and necks were quite white ; 

 but the white spot on the forehead was still apparent, being a 

 brighter white than the rest of the head ; the down on the back 

 was white, but apparently with slight remains of a drab tinge about 

 the roots ; the smallest cygnet appeared the whitest of the four. 

 On the 17th July I again had a close view of the cygnets, and then 

 made the following; memorandum : — " The three largest are beginning 

 to show the tail-feathers and some slight sprouts of wing-feathers ; 

 all these, with the down adjacent to them and the down on the 

 thighs, are a j)ale cinnamon-brown ; elsewhere they are white, except 

 a slaty tint on the forehead, beneath which tlie httle white frontal 

 spot is still visible. The smallest cygnet, which is the most back- 

 ward, is still white all over." On the 24th July smnll feathers of a 

 cinnamon-brown were visible between and adjoining tiie wings of 



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