12 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XI. 



their decision the other way, and so the matter stands. Salvadori 

 does not mention India as one of the places visited by the Hooper, 

 nor are there any specimens in the British Museum which have come 

 thence ; on the other hand there is a skull and feet which come from 

 Nepal, presented by Hodgson, which are labelled Cygnus bewicki. 



Although there is no better evidence than this of the occurrence 

 of this swan in India, it is rather strange that such should be the 

 case, for its range is a very extensive one and one would have thought 

 it more than likely that stragglers should have penetrated within 

 our limits. 



It extends practically over the whole of .Northern Europe and 

 Asia, extending in its limits to Japan and to Greenland. In winter 

 it works south and visits much of Southern Europe, and in Asia has 

 been recorded from Japan, South Vezo, Shanghai, Corea, Teheran, &c. 

 On the Caspian it is very common in the winter, and a few even remain 

 to breed about its northern shores. About Corea it cannot be said to 

 be rare in winter, for Mr. C. W. Campbell remarks : " In mild seasons 

 I have noticed that a number of these swans pass the winter in a bend 

 of the Han River about three miles south of Soul." In Iceland this 

 was the only species of swan observed by Messrs. H. J. and C. E. 

 Pearson, and in the " Ibis " (Vol. I, No. 2, p. 243, 1895) they have 

 the following note : — 



" Eggs were taken on June the 20th and 28th, but the weather 

 among the hills had been so bad this season that several pairs were 

 only commencing to prepare their nests about the latter date. We 

 afterwards saw a clutch of seven eggs which had been recently taken. 

 Although these birds sometimes breed en islands in the inhabited 

 districts, it is little use to look for their eggs until you pass the last 

 farm as they are generally taken either to eat or sell." 



They also breed, but not, I believe, in great numbers, in South 

 Greenland and in the north of Europe, and in Asia as far south as it 

 is allowed by civilisation, which is, of course, equivalent to slaughter. 



All swans seem to have the same breeding habits. They make 

 huge nests of rushes, grass, and any other vegetable material which is 

 soft enough and easily moved, the preference naturally being given 

 to such kind as is the most handy. These are placed on the borders 

 of marshes and swamps, often on islands, large or small, situated in 



