234 ON RARE MIGRANTS TO DERBYSHIRE IN I904. 



herd. A few flakes of snow were falling at the time, and when 

 at last the birds came into view I saw that they were flying in 

 an extended line, almost abreast of one another, and not 

 in the V-shaped formation so frequently adopted by the geese. 

 I counted forty of them as they passed right overhead, giving 

 me a splendid view of their long outstretched necks and white 

 plumage, with their black feet extended backwards. All the 

 time they kept up a continuous succession of calls to one 

 another, which were distinctly audible after the birds had 

 passed out of sight. 



It would be of much interest if the flight of this herd could 

 be traced across England. There is some reason to believe that 

 they visited a reservoir about ten miles from Birmingham, and 

 after many enquiries I found that they were sighted at Calwich 

 and Mayfield on their way up the Dove valley before swerving 

 in a south-easterly direction over Clifton, Edlaston, Longford, 

 across the Trent valley to Calke, and finally reaching Swithland 

 Reservoir, in Leicestershire, where forty were counted on the 

 27th. Next day twenty-five birds left, but the remaining fifteen 

 stayed on the reservoir till 9.0 a.m. on March 7th, when the 

 Rev. J. Murray Dixon, hearing their cries, was in time to see 

 them rise from the water in a string, and take a north-easterly 

 direction. 



Mr. O. Murray Dixon gave me some interesting details of 

 their stay at Swithland. He had excellent opportunities of 

 watching them through a powerful glass, and was able to deter- 

 mine the species with certainty. When disturbed the neck was 

 erected to its full extent, and then nodded with a peculiar jerky 

 motion. In bathing they dipped their necks into the water, 

 allowing it to flow over their backs in a most graceful manner. 



After leaving Swithland they appear to have again passed 

 over Calke Abbey, for a herd (estimated at eighteen in number) 

 were seen at midday " about a week " after the passage of the 

 main body, and it is possible that the two separated portions 

 may have re-united, as Mr. G. Pullen informs me that 

 thirty-five swans were seen flying over the sewage farm at 



