THE WILD SWAN. 11 



beginning of February. On their arrival, persecution awaits 

 them, so that it is not known how long they would remain 

 if unmolested. About three weeks is the longest time that a 

 flock has been observed. On the 13th or 14tliof February, 1848, 

 twenty-two birds were seen near Kirkcubbin, by my informant, 

 some of wliich were grey or young birds ; ten wliich had come 

 under his notice there in a preceding year were all white : both 

 of these flocks were driven away on the day of their arrival. They 

 always alight near the shore, but have not been observed on the 

 sea-banks either at high or low water. Odd birds have frequently 

 been shot when separated from the flock.^ In 1849, four \\ild 

 swans (two wliite and two grey) were seen, on the 28th and 29th 

 of January, far up Larne Lough, above Magheramorne. The 

 weather had been mild before their appearance, and was so at 

 the time, and afterwards. 



In reference to the last-named winter (1848-49) it may be 

 mentioned, that a gentleman staying in the county of Dublin, 

 near Bray, at the end of November, heard, on a frosty clear moon- 

 light night, the loud hooping cry of swans, and saw two flocks 

 consisting altogether of seventeen birds flying very rapidly, the 

 one closely after the other. They called so long as within hear- 

 ing.t Another gentleman, while waiting, on the 1 1th of January, 

 1849, at a point near Coolmore, on the borders of Cork harbour, 

 to get a shot at some wigeon, had his attention drawn to a flock 

 of nine wild swans by their loud calls. These were Hke a repe- 

 tition of the sounds /loo, /wo, and were continued incessantly as in 

 the former instance. This cry resembles " hoop" so nearly, that 

 we feel inclined to consider the birds as hoopers ; but the note of 

 Cygims Bewickii is not very dissimilar, and may be compared to 

 the sounds hong-aw-aw, with occasionally one or both of the last 

 syllables omitted. 



The Cyynus ferus, as I learned at Islay, Scotland, in January 

 1849, comes every winter to that island. Not more than seven 

 have been observed in a flock by the gamekeeper at Ardimersy ; out 



* Mr. Fiuncib Kaukiu, kirkcubbin t Mr. Robert Tii_vlor (Belfast). 



