1 88 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



near the haunt of swans " with any dogges or 

 spaaylls from the feast of Easter to the Sunday 

 next after Trinitie Sunday, uppon payne to forfeit 

 6s. 8d. ; " while the setting of any snare, net, Hne, 

 or other engine to take bitterns or swans was 

 punishable with the like fine. Nor could anyone 

 draw a net in the river between the beginning of 

 May and Lammastide without incurring a penalty 



of 20S. 



The origin of the names " Cob " and " Pen " for 

 the male and female swan respectively is traceable 

 to these ancient Laws and Orders for Swans, in 

 which the sexes are invariably so designated. 

 Thus, in 1598, we find it "ordeyned" that if any 

 brood be found being led by one swan, the swan 

 and cygnets "shall be seized for the king, till due 

 proof be had whose they are, and whose was the 

 swan that is away, be \l cob or pen;" for, if the 

 swan of one owner paired with that of another, there 

 was a regfulation as to the division of the brood 

 in swan-upping time, when the cygnets were 

 allotted and marked accordingly. The rule was 

 thus worded in 1632 : "In all common streames 

 and private waters when cignets are taken up 

 the owner of the Cob must chuse the first cignet, 

 and the Pen the next, and so in order. But if 

 there be three, then the owner of the grasse where 

 they breed must have the third, for the spoyle of 

 his grasse." At the present day in the case of a 

 mixed brood the cygnets are divided between the 

 two owners. 



Although no " Swanherds' Courts " are now 



