390 ON THE BREEDING OF THE BLACK-NECKED SWAN. [JuilC 3, 



The following extract was read from a letter addressed to the 

 Secretary by Mr. Albert A. C. le Souiif, C.M.Z.S., dated Melbourne, 

 April 8th, 1884:— 



" A strange thing occurred in my garden a few months ago which 

 may interest you. A Black-necked Swan (C nigricoUis) commenced 

 sitting on three eggs last August. The keeper tells me that a few 

 days before her time of hatching he found one of the eggs had 

 roiled out of the nest and had been broken, the egg containing a 

 dead cyguet, leaving two eggs under the parent bird. These were 

 hatched on the I3th of September ; but, to my astonishment and the 



Cygnets of Cygnus nigricollis. 



keeper's, produced three cygnets. At first the cygnets were nearly of 

 a size ; but in a very short time one commenced to grow much 

 faster than the other two. The birds are now nearly seven months 

 old ; and I send you a sketch of them as they now are. The bird out 

 of one of the eggs is as large as the parents ; but the two out of the 

 other egg are much smaller. Tiie largest of tlie two has a little 

 colour on the neck ; hut the second is a queer little fellow, and, although 

 apparently quite healthy, is still covered with down, and looks as if 

 it were only two months old. I was not aware that double-yolked 

 eggs produced in this manner, and I shall be glad to know if a similar 

 occurrence has ever come under your notice." 



The following papers were read : — 



