444 



shire; and five were shot in Wigtownshire in January 1871. In the east of Scotland, Mr. Gray 

 says, " it has likewise been noticed from Berwickshire to the Shetlands, where it is known as a 

 regular winter visitant, appearing at the same season as the Whooper. At Dunbar and other 

 places in East Lothian it has been met with occasionally, but chiefly in immature plumage." 

 Dr. Saxby remarks (B. of Shetl. p. 235), that in Shetland this Swan retires northwards some weeks 

 earlier than the Whooper. It occurs there in autumn and spring ; and in rough weather it often 

 arrives in a very wearied condition, though it is a bird strong of wing. 



Thompson states that Bewick's Swan is more numerous in Ireland than the Whooper, and 

 remarks (B. of Irel. iii. p. 13), " In February 1830 a flock containing seven of these Swans 

 alighted in a flooded meadow near Belfast, where they were shot at, and two of them so disabled 

 by the one discharge as to be, after some difficulty, secured. They were purchased by my friend 

 Wm. Sinclair, Esq.; and on their wounds being found so trivial as merely to incapacitate them 

 for flight, were placed in his aquatic menagerie, where, in company with many other species 

 of wild fowl, chiefly Anatidse, they have ever since remained. On March 13, 1830, another 

 specimen of this Swan appeared in our market, and was purchased by Richard Laugtry, Esq., 

 who has it preserved in his collection." 



According to Collett a specimen was shot at Mjosen, in Norway, in 1835 ; but it has not 

 been observed in Sweden. Palmen says that he only knows of three instances of its occurrence 

 in Finland — once in Helsinge parish in 1843, once in Sibbo on the 3rd May 1851, and the third 

 example was obtained near Lovisa in April 1869. It inhabits Northern Russia, and breeds on 

 the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Either this species or Oygnus musicus, or perhaps both species, 

 breed in considerable numbers in Novaya Zemlya. That this Swan occurs there is certain, as 

 Von Heuglin obtained one in August at Nechwatowa, Kostin Shar. 



Messrs. Seebohm and Harvie-Brown, who met with this Swan on the Petchora river, write 

 (Ibis, 1876, p. 438): — " To determine, if possible, the breeding-haunts of this species of Swan, and 

 bring home authentic eggs to England, was one of the principal aims of our expedition. From 

 the time of our arrival at Ust Zylma in the middle of April, to that of our departure for the 

 delta in the beginning of June, we had acquired no satisfactory evidence of its presence. We 

 were informed by the inhabitants at Ust Zylma, and by the best sportsmen of the town, that 

 there were two species, but that the smaller went to the east of the Ural Mountains to breed. 

 But we had long since ceased to attach much importance to any information we received on such 

 subjects. Information almost invariably proved conflicting and unsatisfactory. 



" We had received a very small Swan's egg which had been brought the previous summer 

 from Gorodok ; but we could learn nothing further concerning it, except that it might have 

 originally come from Varandai, or might have been taken in the neighbourhood of Gorodok. 

 We examined two specimens of the common Wild Swan, shot near Ust Zylma at the time of 

 migration, and took drawings and measurements for future use. We had ourselves seen a good 

 many Swans flying overhead or settling on the ice of the river ; but in no case Avere we able to 

 identify them, though we settled in our minds that there were two of different sizes. 



" With nothing, therefore, to guide us in our search, save the last-mentioned item, we 

 started on our voyage down the river in the beginning of June. We saw Swans here and 

 there, but without identifying them. On arriving at Kuya, and while shooting on a swampy 



