HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
45 
bag, to a broad some seven miles distant by river. 
The next morning he was back, proudly sailing 
on his own waters. This feat of regaining his 
own territories did not diminish his arrogance, 
and it was necessary to make a second attempt to 
transfer him to a quieter neighbourhood. This 
time it was hoped to satisfy him by taking his 
mate with him, only for both to return as quickly 
as possible. This intelligence and perseverance 
was rewarded by his being sentenced to death, and 
his fine plumage may now be seen in the Norwich 
Castle Museum. 
Until 1853 it was usual for the Mayor of Nor- 
wich and other civic dignitaries to attend this 
annual ceremony, but for many years successive 
Mayors allowed the practice to drop. In 1909 Mr. 
Walter Rye endeavoured to revive this custom, 
and himself attended as Mayor of Norwich, ac- 
companied by the Sheriff, Mr. A. G. Howlett. 
This year the present Lord Mayor (Mr. A. M. 
Samuel) was unavoidably prevented attending, but 
quite a new feature of the "upping" was the at- 
tendance of the Lady Mayoress, who, with the 
Lord Mayor's brother and his wife, joined the 
party at Beckenham Ferry, and entered into the 
chase as keenly and heartily as any member of the 
part}'. The waters down to Hardly Cross, the 
limit of the jurisdiction of these operation, were 
first covered. The birds do not as a rule stray far 
from their own particular waters, and the swan- 
herd (Mr. H. V. Steward) knows pretty well in 
what vicinity to look for them; and the record of 
the eggs he has kept from the commencement of 
the season is a guide to him as to the probable 
number of young birds he may expect. Armed 
with a long pole hooked at one end like a shep- 
herd's crook, the uppers pursue their search. 
Curiously enough, the old birds scent danger, and 
seem to have a dim recollection of former raids, 
and they make the proceedings as difficult and 
dangerous as possible. Occasionally a pair of old 
birds with infinite cunning will dodge in and out, 
and give no end of trouble before they are cap- 
tured. 
As often as not the birds have wandered 
away up some marshland creek. It may take an 
hour or two to find them, but the searchers do 
not give up their task till they are found, and by 
the aid of the pole each bird is hooked and dragged 
ashore or into the boat. Careful note is taken of 
the distinctive marks on the bills of the parent 
birds, and they are returned to the water. The 
cygnets are put on one side for convevance to 
Norwich. If by chance the birds are owned by 
different proprietors the brood of young ones is 
divided equally. If there is an odd young one the 
two owners "toss up" for it. 
_ Midway between Cantley and Beckenham a 
family of seven were sighted. Four of them were 
a fairly easy capture, but the remaining three 
gave considerable trouble. The capture of two 
occupied more than an hour, and the third having 
secreted itself in the reeds could not be found. 
Later on it rejoined the parent birds and was cap- 
tured during Tuesday's operation. At Beckenham 
Ferry a halt was made, and the party, with appe- 
tites sharpened by the early morning chase, sat 
down to the customary hot meat breakfast, which 
was again this year provided by the generosity 
of Mr. Holmes, of Strumpshaw, and the Master 
of the Hospital (Mr. Bacon). At its conclusion a 
fresh start was made for Rockland and Strump- 
shaw broads and dykes. At the former place a 
pair with five cygnets was discovered, and after a 
long, if not a stern, chase, four of them were 
driven into a convenient dyke, and their day's 
roaming was over. The other had got in amongst 
the reeds and rushes and " laid low and said 
nufhn." For some time the men searched dili- 
gently, as only marshmen can, but nothing was 
to be seen, and the search had to be abandoned. 
The party then headed for the Strumpshaw waters, 
where seven fine birds were captured. 
By the time Coldham Hall is reached the 
best of the day is gone; the other waters up to 
Trowse have to be left to the morrow. The day's 
haul made a very respectable total of 21 birds, 
still in the dull grey plumage of their youth, but 
giving promise of fattening to 18 or 26 lb. of good 
solid flesh by Christmas time. In the interval of 
their being carted to the swan pit at Norwich they 
were posed before the camera on the lawn of Cold- 
ham Hall. A day or two later we make their 
acquaintance again in their new home at the 
Great Hospital, where, for generations past, the 
birds have been fattened. By the close of the 
swan-upping operations some 60 or 70 birds will 
have been brought hither. Roughly speaking, a 
coomb of corn will go to the fattening of each 
bird, and by that time it will be fit to participate 
in the honoured treatment which the Master of 
the Hospital, Mr. A. E. W. Bacon, recommends 
as the correct way to roast a swan. The recipe 
is printed and sent out with each bird. 
-S- 
CURRENT FRENCH PRACTICAL 
AVICULTURE. 
Bv F. Finn, B.A., F.Z.S. 
"La Revue Avicole" is an excellent French 
publication, the organ of the National French Avi- 
cultural Society, which deals every fortnight with 
aviculture in the wide and true sense in which 
our Allies take it; that is to say, not the keeping 
of birds of various generally wild species purely 
for pleasure, but the keeping of birds for any 
