254 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



' This bird visits the lake [Ulleswater] only preceding or during 

 severe frosts : his appearance is looked upon as the prognostic of 

 a hard winter.' Dr. Heysham wrote too early to discriminate 

 between the Whooper and Bewick's Swans, but the species that 

 he was acquainted with was probably the Whooper ; he explains 

 that its trachea distinguishes it from the Mute Swan. We can 

 hardly doubt that such an acute observer would have noticed as 

 new the sternum of Bewick's Swan, had any adult examples 

 of that small swan come under his personal observation. 



Dr. Heysham remarks : ' A flock or two of wild Swans gener- 

 ally visit Cumberland every severe winter. Last winter [1794- 

 1795, which proved severe] a flock frequented the Esk near 

 Netherby, three of which were shot [i.e. by Sir James Graham 

 and his gamekeeper].' The winter 1795-96 'was remarkably 

 mild,' consequently ' neither wild geese nor Swans were seen ' at 

 Netherby. The Carlisle Journal of Feb. 19, 1803, records the 

 death of a bird which from the measurements given was no 

 doubt a Whooper : ' On the 9th, William Scott, groom to the 

 Right Hon. Thomas Wallace of Carleton-hall, shot a swan in the 

 river Eamont which measured five feet six inches from the beak 

 to the end of the tail, and seven feet six inches across, from the 

 tips of the wings.' On the 5th of March the same year, the 

 Carlisle Journal adds the information : ' On Sunday the 1 3th 

 ult. upwards of 30 Swans were seen upon Bassenthwaite water: 

 they made a most beautiful appearance. Three Swans have been 

 shot in that neighbourhood.' Writing in 1828, Dr. Stanley of 

 Whitehaven states : ' Anas Cygnus, the Wild Swan. — In hard 

 winters small flocks are seen ; several were shot near Ennerdale 

 Lake two or three years ago.' 1 Under the nom de plume of 

 ' Philagros/ an unknown individual records, on January 31, 

 1830, that a herd of about thirty swans, Whoopers, from the 

 measurements given of one shot, had recently visited Winder- 

 mere, Esthwaite, and Coniston. 2 



Mr. T. C. Heysham had already made the personal acquaint- 

 ance of the Whooper, since he states in the sixth volume of the 

 Philosophical Magazine : ' Small flocks of wild Swans are seen 

 almost every winter in Solway Firth, and generally one or two 

 1 Mag. Nat. Hist. 1829, p. 276. 2 lb. 1830, p. 439. 



