BEWICK'S SWAN. 



CYGNUS BEWICKI, Yarr. 



Cygnus bewickii, Yarr. Trans. Linn. Soc. xvi. p. 453 (1833) ; 



Macg. iv. p. 669 ; Hewitson, ii. p. 396. 

 Cygnus melanorhinus, Naum. xi. p. 497. 

 Cynus bewicki, Yarr. ed. 4, iv. p. 315 ; Dresser, vi. p. 441. 



Cygne de Bewick, French ; Bewick's Schwan, German. 



I have no acquaintance with this species in a wild 

 state, but am of opinion that it is at least as common a 

 visitor to our shores in winter as the Whooper, not only 

 to those of Ireland, as stated by Sir R. Payne-Gallwey, 

 to whom I have referred in my note on the latter 

 bird, but also on the eastern coast and inland waters of 

 England. In support of this view, I may mention that, 

 in my experience, the Nene Valley, near Lilford, was 

 visited in January 1879 by a flock of sixteen of the 

 present birds, of which four were shot by my late 

 neighbour, Mr. George E. Hunt, and that, in a flock of 

 more than twenty Swans of the three British species 

 that frequented the Nene between Thrapston and Peter- 

 borough from the latter end of January till late in 

 March 1893, at least twelve were clearly identified by 



