AND NEIGHBOURHOOD. 155 



by all three of our British species, of which Bewick's 

 Swan appears to have been the most numerous. The 

 only capture of Swans that came to my knowledge at 

 this time was communicated to me by Captain J. A. M. 

 Vipan of Stibbington, as follows: — "February 12.93. 

 On January 24th ult. I observed fourteen Swans on 

 the flood near Water Newton ; I went down after 

 them with punt and big gun, and found nineteen, in 

 two lots of eleven and eight respectively ; the eleven 

 would not let me get within 200 yards, but I could 

 see that they were all certainly Bewick's Swans. I 

 got a long shot at the other lot (amongst which I 

 could detect some Mute Swans), and eventually 

 secured two Whoopers and one Mute ; one of the 

 Whoopers weighed nearly 20 lbs. I was told that 

 there were about 20 Swans at the same spot yesterday 

 morning, 11th inst." The latest report of Swans that 

 reached me during the months above mentioned was 

 that of two Whoopers, clearly identified by my 

 falconer, on March 9th, on the river near Barnwell 

 Mill. On December 11, 1893, the same individual 

 reported having seen two Swans passing over Lilford 

 in a southerly direction, " loudly trumpeting as they 

 flew." 



Whilst engaged on this revision of my " Notes," 

 on March 16th and 17th, 1895, we were visited by a 

 flock of eight adult Whoopers, that remained in the 

 close neighbourhood of Lilford during those two days, 

 and were seen and clearly identified from their 'music,' 

 by most of our guests and many other persons. 



