228 



BIRDS. 



Cygnus olor (Gmel). Mute Swan. 



Domestic. Common. In some cases may almost be considered as 

 half wild. 



Some which for a long time frequented Loch Rannoch, both in 

 summer and winter, have of late years taken flights away towards 

 the Moor of Rannoch, and I saw one of these myself on the upper 

 portion of the river Gower where the railway bridge now crosses it 

 close to Loch Luydon, and this was in midsummer in 1902. This 

 may simply be an extension of their breeding quarters consequent 

 upon increase at older centres, and also induced by repeated autumn 

 or winter movements, as with wilder species — a natural extension. 



A few of these birds are kept upon many of the resident gentle- 

 men's ornamental lochs and ponds, from the north-east all over the 

 area to the other extremities of Tay. 



Cygnus musicus, Bechsf. Whooper, or Common Wild Swan. 



Common, and some seasons abundant winter visitants, though not 

 comparing in numbers with those in the Outer and Inner Hebrides. 



Wild Swans were abundant on the lower reaches of tidal Tay in 

 the early part of 1879, when a good many were shot — e.g. three or 

 four at Newburgh, one at Dundee, one at Edenmouth, and others. 



Mr. Milne records one shot at Drumtochty " a few weeks ago,'* 

 i.e. prior to his sending me his list in 1894, after Col. Drummond 

 Hay's death. 



Mr. W. E. Frost, Ardvreck, Crieff, shot a Whooper about 1901 or 

 1902 between Broughty Ferry and Monifieth (in lit., 7th April 1904). 



It is marked only as "occasional" in Dr. De war's list for 

 Arbroath neighbourhood. 



One was obtained on a pond near Dundee on 13th October 1880 

 {fide Mr. P. Henderson, in lit. ; and see Natural History Society of 

 Glasgow Proceedings at p. 50). 



A flock was reported on Tay in the winter of 1847-8 by Mr. 

 Archibald Hepburn {Zool, 1848, p. 2148) ; and there are many others 

 not necessary to enumerate. Oh.— A. Black Swan was shot on the 

 river Eden, Fife, near Niddry (or Nidie 1) Mill, by a Mr. Philip, 

 Kincaple, in 1846, and was stufl'ed by Mr. Sinclair, St. Andrews; at 

 the time of capture it was destined for the Museum of the Literary 

 and Antiquarian Society of that city (Zool., 1846, p. 1501). 



Ohs. — A Black and White Swan was obtained by Mr. Nicol 



