﻿WHISTLING SWAN. 59 



NATATORES. ANATIDM. 



PLATE CCXL. 



WHISTLING SWAN. 



CYGNUS FEKUS. 



The Whistling Swan, or Hooper, is a frequent winter 

 visitor in many parts of Great Britain, and in seasons of 

 great severity occurs in very considerable numbers. It is 

 not only met with in the northern parts of Britain, but oc- 

 casionally extends to the most southern counties, spreading 

 along the coast and rivers. Their arrival in England takes 

 place early in the autumn, and although preferring the 

 sea-coast, they are, in stormy weather, seen a considerable 

 distance inland. 



In October of the present year, 1848, many were killed 

 about Gravesend ; and in our own neighbourhood, twenty 

 miles above London, several were seen flying about the low 

 lands by the river Thames, during the autumnal flood, driven 

 inland doubtless by the heavy gales that prevailed at times at 

 that season. 



The geographical distribution of this species extends over 

 Europe, Asia, and America, the summer months being passed 

 in the northern, and the winter in more southern coun- 

 tries. The Whistling Swan, or Hooper, does not go so far 

 north as some of the Anatidee, as it seldom extends much 



