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ON THE ORIGIN OF THE TERMS " COB " AND "PEN." 



By the Editor. 



Professor Newton, in his excellent * Dictionary of Birds ' 

 (art. "Cob"), quotes Yarrell (ed. 1, vol. iii. p. 130), to the effect 

 that, " in the language of swanherds, the male swan is called a 

 * Cob,' the female a ' Pen ' ; these terms refer to the comparative 

 size and grade of the two sexes," but (he adds) " corroboration 

 of the first statement has been sought in vain, while the second 

 is hardly intelligible." 



Having recently had occasion to look over my notes on 

 " Swan-marks," which have been accumulating for some years, 

 I have come across several which throw light on the above 

 quotation, and justify the first part of Yarrell's statement, the 

 concluding part being evidently founded on a misapprehension. 



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

 female swan respectively is traceable to the ancient " Laws and 

 Orders for Swans," which were in vogue at a time when it was 

 customary throughout England (instead of as now on one river 

 only — the Thames) to mark all swans on the bill to denote 

 ownership. There was then an office of " Master of the Swans 

 throughout England," and commissions were issued periodically 

 for holding " Swanherds Courts " or " Swan-Mootes," at which 

 " Orders " were made " where and when they were fit and 

 necessary for the preservation of swans." These " orders " were 

 copied out and made known by proclamation in market towns. 

 Two such copies are in my possession ; one of Elizabeth's time 

 in MS., dated 1598, the other of Charles the First's time, printed 

 and dated 1632. The former is entitled ' The Orders for 

 Swannes exemplified out of the printed Orders for Swannes the 

 xxvj th of marche, 1598 ' ; the latter, a small quarto of con- 

 siderable rarity, is entitled, * The Orders, Lawes, and Ancient 

 Customes of Swanns, Caused to be printed by John Witherings 

 Esquire, Master and Governour of the Royal Game of Swans 

 and Signets throughout England. Printed by August Mathewes, 

 1632." 



With the exception of this copy I have seen but two others, 

 one of which was in possession of the late Mr. Stephen Tucker, 

 Somerset Herald, the other in the British Museum (C. 31, e. 26). 



