I90 RECREATIONS OF A NATURALIST 



as soon as the young broods are sufficiently well 

 grown is annually observed. Each has his own 

 swanherd, and at the appointed time they meet at 

 London Bridge and proceed up the river in boats 

 by stages, the ceremony occupying four days. 

 According to the old practice (1598) the "upping" 

 was "ordeyned" to begin " upon the Monday next 

 after Trinity Sunday," but it now takes place much 

 later, usually commencing on the third Monday in 

 July. The stages are from London Bridge to 

 Ditton ; Ditton to Staines ; Staines to Bray ; and 

 Bray to Henley ; the number of swans upon the 

 river being so great (between 400 and 500) that it 

 is not possible to catch and mark them all in less 

 time than four days. 



The alteration of date for the ceremony seems 

 to have been made at least so long ago as James I.'s 

 time, since there is an entry in the First Court Book 

 of the Vintners' Company as follows : " 10 July 

 1609. Swan-uppers for this yeare elected. The 

 care of the birds confided to them. The Swanherd 

 of the Company, with His Majesty's Swanherd, 

 and the Swanherd of the Dyers' Company assemble 

 at Lambeth, in August, and proceed up the river to 

 mark the swans." 



One of the earliest entries, however, in the records 

 of this company, shows that the swans on occasion 

 were " upped " in winter. Thus, under date 1509, 

 we find the entry : " Payd, in the grete frost, to 

 James, the under swanherd, for uppyng of the 

 maister's swannes, iiijs." This "uppyng," however, 

 in all probability was not for the purpose of mark- 



