INDIAN DUCKS AND THEIR ALLIES. 19 



in the centre forming occasional pools, in one of which the birds 

 seemed inclined to alight. Changing their intention, however, they 

 came flying up and passed me at a distance of about 60 yards ; to 

 my surprise* and delight I recognised in them most undoubted wild 

 swans. Firing with loose shot at that distance was useless, so 1 

 watched in the hope that they would settle in some of the pools higher 

 up in the stream and thereby afford a stalk, but they continued their 

 slow, heavy flight until I lost sight of them in the distance. 



" Concluding that they would not stop until they reached the Indus, 

 some 20 miles off, I was returning to my breakfast, a sadder and a 

 wiser man, when, in taking a last look in this direction, I saw them 

 returning. I hastily got into the centre of the nullah in their line of 

 flight, and as they rose slightly to avoid me fired both barrels, No. 3 

 shot, at the leader. She (for it proved to be the female) staggered 

 but went on, slowly sinking, until she settled in a large pool about 400 

 yards off, accompanied by her male who alighted close beside her. 



'■" The pool, being commanded by a high bank, offered an easy 

 stalk, and getting round into a favorable position I found the swans 

 within 20 yards of me. A crowd of gadwa] (C. streperus) which was 

 close by took flight on seeing me, but the male swan stuck nobly by 

 his mate and paid dearly for his fidelity, and shortly I had the 

 satisfaction of landing them both. 



" The villagers who collected to see the birds, gave the local name 

 as * penr ' (pronounced with a nasal n) and told me that the birds 

 came there occasionally once in every three or four years." 



In 1878 other three swans were obtained in the Sewan district, 

 Scind, somewhere near the Manchur Lake, by Mr. H. E. Watson, 

 after he had previously seen some birds of the same species in the 

 lake itself, doubtless the same flock from which he afterwards 

 obtained specimens. 



Besides these a good number seem to have been seen, and in four 

 cases a pair were shot, but in no instance were the skins preserved, 

 though Hume seems to be satisfied that they were C. olor. Mr. Hill of 

 the Rifles also shot a swan which was said to be C. olor, but again 

 the skin was not preserved. 



Mr. Watson writes of his birds, " I shot three swans this morning. 

 As far as I can judge they are identical with the Indian species 



