Photo by W. P. Dando, F.Z.S. 
COREAN CATTLE. 
southern parts of South America. In addition 
to the striking contrasts in the colour of its 
plumage, it is remarkable for the red knob 
on the bill and red skin of the face, the bill 
itself being blue-grey, and the legs and feet 
flesh-coloured. In possessing this knob on 
the bill it agrees with the common Tame or 
Mute Swan (C. olor), and these are the only 
swans thus ornamented. The Black-Necked 
Swan is, however, very much smaller than 
the more familiar species, and far inferior to 
it in stateliness, for it seems never to raise 
and display its wings in the graceful manner 
so characteristic of the other. This swan has 
long been introduced into Kurope and else- 
where as an ornamental bird, but has not 
become common, although it will breed in 
captivity. It has often done so in the 
iondon Zoological Gardens, although none 
were hatched from the eges 
laid there this year; and 
in the Melbourne Zoological 
Gardens in 1883 two cyenets 
of this species were hatched 
from one ege. Most remark- 
able to relate, both of these 
birds throve, but though at 
first they were about as big as 
a brother which had had an 
ege all to itself as usual, this 
latter soon forged ahead of 
them, and was in its seventh 
month as large as the 
parents; while of the twins 
one was much smaller, though 
Photo voy W. P. Dando, F.Z.8. 
Notes 213 
showing some colour on the neck, and the 
other. was a funny downy little creature 
looking about two months old, although 
apparently quite healthy. 
As is usually the case with swans, the young 
of the black-necked species differ considerably 
in plumage from the adult, having a brown 
head and neck, and brown edging to the white 
body-feathers. In this it recalls the young of 
the Australian Black Swan (Chenopsis atratus), 
which has its first plumage so strongly mottled 
with dun tips to the feathers that 1t is more 
pale brown than black. The cygnets of the 
common, black, and black-necked species are all 
of the same type of colour when first hatched, 
being of a tint ranging from white to grey, 
the young of the black-necked being nearly 
pure white, while the white and_ black 
cygnets are not so different in their grey 
coats as would be expected. 
yy 
THE Common Otters at the Zoological 
Gardens have had reason to 
congratulate themselves on the 
improvement of their quarters, 
their sleeping-box haying been raised on 
posts so as not to be so near the water, 
whilst a sloped hollow log gives them access 
to it; in this way they have a better 
chance of keeping their bed dry. It is 
not without reason that the top of their 
enclosure is wired over, for the otter yields 
to no mammal in all-round activity, and 
besides being a professional swimmer 1s 
a fair runner and quite able to climb. 
The Otter. 
AMERICAN BISON. 
