758 



U. S. p. K. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



CTGNUS AMEEICANUS, Sharpless. 

 American Swan. 



?Anas columhianus,ORv, Guthrie's Geog. 2d Am. Ed. 11, 1815, 319 ; based on Whistling Swan , Lewis & Clark, II, 192. 

 Cygnus americanus, Sharpless, Doughty's Cab. N. H. I, 1830, 185, pi, xvi. — Ib. Am. Jour. So. XXII, 1831, 83. — 

 AuD. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 133 ; pi. 411.— Ib. Syn. 274.— Ib. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 226 ; pi. 384- 

 Olor americanus, Bonap. Consp. Anser. Comptes Rendus, XLIII, Sept. 22, 1856. 

 ^nas (Cygnus) cygnus, Bon. Specchio Comp. 237. 

 Cygnus musicus, Bonap. Syn. 1827, 379. 

 Cygnus bewickii, Sw. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 224. 

 Cygnus ferus, Ndttall, Man. II, 1834, 368. 

 Sp. Ch.— Bill as long as the head, broad, high at the base ; the feathers ending on the forehead in a semi-circular outline. 

 Nostrils far forward, tlie anterior extremity considerably more forward than half the commissure. Tail of 20 feathers. 



Adult pure white ; bill and legs black ; the former with an orange or yellowish spot in front of the eye. Less mature speci- 

 mens with the head above tinged with reddish brown. Length, 55 inches ; wing, 22.00 ; tarsus, 4.25 ; bill above, 4.20. 

 Hab. — Continent of North America. 



The common American swan is equally abundant on both sides of the continent, as well as 

 throughout the interior. The young bird is brown, instead of white. The adult seldom, if 

 ever, is without the yellow or orange space at the base of the bill, which is otherwise black. 



List of specimens. 



Catal, 

 No. 



9978 

 9979 

 4643 

 9981 

 9976 



Locality. 



Washington, D. C 



Salt Lake city 



Fort Thorn, N. M 



Coast of California 



Fort Vancouver, W. T . 

 Fort Steilacoom 



When collected. 



Dec, 1853 

 Oct. 24, 1856 



Whence obtained. 



S. F. Baird 



Lieut. Beckwith 



Dr. T. C. Henry.. 

 Lieut. Trowbridge. 



Gov. Stevens .., 



Dr. Suckley 



Original 

 . No. 



582 



Collected by- 



Dr. Henry. 



Dr. Cooper. 



CYGNUS BUCCINATOE, Rich. 



Trumpeter Swan. 



Cygnus huodnator. Rich. F. Bor. Am. II, 1831, 464.— Ndttall, Man. II, 1834, 370.— Add. Orn Biog. IV, 1838, 

 536 : V, 114 ; pi. 406 and pi. 376.— Ib. Syn. 74.— Ib. Birds. Amer. VI, 1843, 219 ; pi. 382, 

 383.— Eyton, Mon. Anat. 1838, 100. 



Olor buccinator, Wagler, Isis, 1832, 1234 — Boji. Comptos Rendus, XLIII, Sept. 1856. 



Sp. Ch. — Bill broad, longer than the head ; the feathers ending on the forehead in a serai-elliptical outline. The nostrils 

 with the anterior extremity as far forward only as half the coramissure. Tail of 24 feathers. 



Adult pure white throughout, the bill and legs entirely black ; the bill without any red spot at the base. Less mature speci- 

 mens with the head above tinged with reddish brown. 



Length about 60 inches ; wing, 24.00 ; bill above, 4.50 ; tarsus, 4.60. 



Hab. — Western America, from the Mississippi valley to the Pacific. 



This large and powerful swan, doubtless, has special anatomical peculiarities of trachea, to 

 distinguish it from 0. americanus, as the note is much more sonorous. It is for this reason that it 

 is called Trumpeter, in distinction from the other, or " Whistling Swan." 



