58 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



flying against the telegraph wires ; also that a Pochard had 

 been shot, out of a small flock, on Monk's Pool, Breadsall. 

 A hen Pheasant, assuming male plumage, with what appeared 

 to be rudimentary spurs, was sent, on Jan. 19th, to A. S. 

 Hutchinson, from Longstone, near Bakewell. At the end of 

 January a couple of Scaup (Fuligula marila, L.) were noticed 

 on the Trent, near Donington, and on the 31st the drake was 

 shot on the Derbyshire side by A. S. Hutchinson, while the duck 

 managed to escape. About the same time a female Wood or 

 Summer Duck (Aix sponsa) was shot by Mr. Young on the 

 Derwent, near Dumeld. 



The only cold weather of the whole winter was experienced 

 between Feb. 17th and March 2nd, when there was some snow. 

 On Feb. 24th two wild Swans were seen by a labourer flying 

 down the Dove Valley towards Hanging Bridge. His attention 

 was attracted by their notes. On Feb. 27th, about 4.15 p.m., 

 while in the garden, I heard in the distance sounds something 

 like the ' honks ' of the Canada Geese which flight up and down 

 the Dove Valley. As they came nearer, the difference in the 

 notes became apparent, and when at last the birds came in sight 

 I noticed that the formation of the herd in flight was in an 

 extended line, almost abreast of one another. When first 

 sighted they were coming up the valley of the Dove, but leaving 

 Mayfield on the left, they swerved to the right, and passed right 

 overhead across Clifton. At close quarters it was obvious that 

 they were wild Swans — the long necks, white plumage and black 

 feet directed backwards were all plainly visible as the long line 

 of forty great birds passed over, keeping up a continual succes- 

 sion of calls as long as they remained in sight. After many 

 enquiries I ascertained that the herd had been observed at 

 Calwich, Mayfield, Clifton, Edlaston, near Longford, and at 

 Calke Abbey. Finally they appear to have reached Swithland 

 Beservoir, Leicestershire, on the same day, where they were 

 satisfactorily identified by Mr. 0. Murray Dixon as Cygnus 

 bewicki. From information kindly furnished to me by Mr. 

 Dixon, I am enabled to state that twenty-five birds left Swithland 

 on Sunday night (Feb. 28th), but the remaining fifteen stayed on 

 undisturbed till Monday, March 7th, when the Bev. J. Murray 

 Dixon, hearing their calls, was in time to see them rise from the 



