196



A Sociable Cygnet.



parts are of a deep rufous chestnut. The sexes are said to be

indistinguishable except in size, the female being slightly the

larger.


It is apparently widely, if somewhat sparsely, distributed

throughout the whole of Australia, except the extreme north,,

and lives chiefly in thickly wooded districts, where it may be

seen soaring for hours at a stretch. The only reference I could

find with regard to its food was that it consisted chiefly of birds,,

though whether it takes them alive (an exceedingly improbable

supposition, considering the shortness and comparative feeble¬

ness of its feet) or finds sufficient carrion, I am unable to sa)^.


The nest is a large structure of sticks and twigs, placed on

the topmost branches of a lofty tree, and lined with leaves and

bark. The eggs are two in number, and resemble those of most

Kites, being white, irregularly blotched and splashed with red¬

dish. The breeding season commences in October.


This, I am afraid combines, in a nut-shell, all that is known

of this somewhat scarce and obscure species. The peculiar build

which has gained for it a generic title of itself is probably cor¬

related with a mode of life different from that of the true Kites,

but on this point information is lacking, and I can only hope

that, having pointed out this deficiency, some of our Australian

friends may send us a further communication dealing with its

habits and food in a wild state.



A SOCIABLE CYGNET.



There is a large piece of artificial water in the place where

we have lately come to live, in the North of Ireland, inhabited

solely at that time by Water-Hens and Coots, and it was with

much pleasure that we received the present of a pair of Cygnets

to share possession and adorn the lake. We hoped too that they

would to some extent keep down the mass of American weed

with which it is infested. The birds were very shy at first and

hid themselves among the reeds, &c. at the furthest side of the

water and quite out of sight for some days ; by degrees however

they became tamed and soon took the bread and other food



