BEWICK S SAVAN. 17 



" March 17, 1836. I examined a Ci/gnus Bewickii which was 

 shot at Lough Beg, adjoining Lough Neagh, on the 12th instant 

 Its length is 3 feet 9 in. ; tail-feathers 20 f knob on bill very 

 small ; feathers on forehead deep rust-colour ; on sides of head 

 tinged with pale rust-colour at their extremities ; tips of feathers 

 on breast and entire under surface of belly of a rust colour, so 

 extremely pale as to have the appearance merely of being soiled ; 

 bill on the ridge, as far as nostrils, pale orange : this colour advanc- 

 ing a little farther on the sides, thence to tip black. On dissec- 

 tion it was found to be a female. Its stomach was fflled with minute 

 seeds and gravel. As I have heard of flocks of wild swans being 

 frequently seen on Lough Neagh during the last two months, there 

 IS little doubt that they have been there since first observed in 

 January, and that they will most probably remain until the period 

 of their vernal migi-ation. The five remaining birds of the flock, 

 out of which Mr. Sinclaire's specimens were obtained in 1830^ 

 went off in the direction of Lough Neagh ; and a similar number' 

 presumed to be the same individuals, were a few days afterwards 

 seen in the flooded meadows, where they had been fired at. This 

 is mentioned as indicative of their continuance in the same part 

 of the country. 



"Although the Ci/gms Beivickii is considered to visit England 

 less commonly than the C^gnus ferns, it is certainly of more fre- 

 quent occurrence in Ireland."' 



The following matter has not hitherto been published :— In 

 the sprmg of 1836, 1 saw two of tliese swans at Mr. W. S. Wall's 

 (bird-preserver), DubKn, both of which were shot in the King's 

 county. He received them in a fresh state on the Uth February 

 and 3rd March, of that year. 



About tlie month of January 1837, one was purchased in Dub- 

 Im market.t lu the middle of that month, a specimen, sent 

 fi'om Colerame to Belfast to be preserved, came under my notice. 



* Since attention was , ■ailed in lliis paper to the difference in tl-.e nnnibcr of tail 

 feahersrt has been admitted by ornithologists that the nnmber at first as i^ed 

 to the C. Bewicku is not of specific value. 'issigneci 



t Mr. H. H. Doiubraiu. 



VOL. ni. p 



