A BRIEF NOTICE OF 
BEWICK’S SWAN. 
——~»——_ 
From an examination of the various specimens of 
Swans contained in the Manchester Museum (two 
of which are Whistling Swans or Hoopers, one in 
mature and the other in immature plumage, and a 
third is the Cygnus Bewickii of Mr. Yarrell, de- 
scribed in the ‘ Transactions of the Linnean Society,’ 
vol. xvi. p. 445 et seg.) I had, for several years, 
strongly suspected that there are two distinct 
species of the genus Cygnus which occasionally visit 
this country. But, notwithstanding the comparatively 
small size of the last-mentioned bird, its more clumsy 
figure, and the snowy whiteness of its plumage, 
which indicates maturity, in general appearance it 
bears so striking a resemblance to the Hooper, that 
I hesitated to announce it as a new species pre- 
viously to having made myself acquainted in some 
measure with its habits and internal organization, no 
opportunity of investigating which had hitherto pre- 
sented itself. 
My attention was again directed to this in- 
