6924 Birds. 



that swans are sometimes seen in the Chang-chow river here; but notwilhstanding all 

 my endeavours I have failed to get a glimpse of these rare monster game until this 

 winter, when by some extraordinary luck, a few weeks ago, I received from a friend 

 at Shanghai a pair of wild swans caught in that neighbourhood, which he informed 

 me were large " wild white geese." Of course I could say nothing against the natural 

 blunder of my friend when I had been so enriched by his exertions. The next thing 

 was how to keep them alive for a few days, to watch their habits ; but alas ! Amoy is 

 the last place to bring live swans to, unless one wishes to see them frolic among the 

 shipping ; so I was obliged to condemn them to my narrow court-yard, scarce more 

 extensive than a London area; and in this prison I sedulously watched the dull 

 habits of these once snow-white creatures, now reduced to as dingy a hue as any other 

 gaol-bird. Their wings had been cleverly tied by passing a string round the first wing- 

 bone and across the back, and thus kept the birds from using them too freely. Often 

 as I have watched from a window above, I have seen them stalking awkwardly about 

 the yard, the female always following the male. They would sometimes stand close 

 together, and the female coaxingly rub her head and breast against the male, uttering 

 all the while her plaintive notes, to which the male sometimes responded in a deeper 

 key. These sounds were produced by the bird rounding her neck, lowering her head 

 towards the breast and then raising it quickly again. The notes produced might be 

 syllabled " co-co " uttered in a most melancholy tone, and were not unlike the wind 

 escaping from some long brass instrument. The female was most constantly uttering 

 the chaunt, consisting at times of two, at others of three or more notes, and continued 

 it through the greater part of the moonlight nights. Often, while in ray room in the 

 upper story of the house, this plaint has recalled to ray mind the notes of the distant 

 hoopoe, or the less pleasant music madebysomeantiquated window swinging in the breeze 

 on its rusty hinges. When suddenly approached the birds would both utter a loud 

 '* cow-cow," pronounced like the treble bark of some snappish cur, and, uplifting their 

 necks, they would stand defiant, giving hoarse hisses ; but if the hand were boldly put 

 forward towards them they curved their heads and tried to escape. When taken up 

 they would kick and throw the neck about violently, making a loud and shrill cack- 

 ling noise, which might be heard at a great distance. It is evident from my obser- 

 vations above that mine possessed the same peculiar habits and cries as the wounded 

 female of Cygnus ferus spoken of in Montagu's ' Ornithological Dictionary ;' but my 

 birds I have ascertained to belong to Cygnus minor, Pallas (C. Bewickii, YarrelC). 

 Therefore, either the wild swan assimilates Bewick's swan in habits, or, what is more 

 probable, Montagu was describing the female of C. Bewickii, which at that time was 

 not distinguished from C. ferus. Dr. Schlegel, in the ' Fauna Japonica,' mentions a 

 C. musicus vel ferus from Japan. Now, it would be worth while to ascertain if this 

 statement is not a mistake, as I feel pretty confident that the wild swan on this coast 

 belongs only to one species, the C. minor of Pallas. At all events the pair examined 

 by me answer in every respect to the description given in Yarrell of C. Bewickii. 

 After the death of the female the male was never heard to utter a sound of any kind ; 

 he held himself very erect and looked melancholy, continuing to refuse all food until 

 nearly reduced to a skeleton ; his legs yielded under him, and death put an end to 

 his miseries. 



Cygnus minor, ^ . 

 Length 3 feet 9 inches. Wing from curvature 1 foot 7 inches. Bill from base of 

 culmen to the tip 3 inches 4-tenths, frontal protuberance \ inch ; lower man- 



