﻿144 
  

  

  THE 
  VEETEBRATE 
  FAUNA 
  OF 
  "DEE." 
  

  

  Genus 
  CYGNUS, 
  Beck. 
  

  

  Cygnus 
  olor, 
  Gmelin. 
  Mute 
  Swan. 
  

  

  This 
  bird 
  is 
  kept 
  on 
  many 
  ornamental 
  waters 
  throughout 
  

   " 
  Dee," 
  and 
  is 
  in 
  a 
  semi-wild 
  state 
  on 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  Strathbeg, 
  

   upon 
  the 
  islands 
  of 
  which 
  it 
  builds 
  its 
  nest 
  and 
  brings 
  forth 
  

   its 
  young. 
  

  

  [Cygnus 
  immutabilis, 
  Yarrell. 
  Polish 
  Swan. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  no 
  record, 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  I 
  know, 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  having 
  

   been 
  identified 
  as 
  a 
  visitor 
  to 
  " 
  Dee," 
  except 
  the 
  somewhat 
  

   misty 
  statement 
  of 
  Edward. 
  Speaking 
  of 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  

   Strathbeg, 
  he 
  says 
  : 
  " 
  Only 
  two 
  species 
  have 
  as 
  yet 
  been 
  dis- 
  

   tinguished, 
  namely, 
  the 
  beautiful 
  White 
  Hooper 
  ( 
  Cygnus 
  ferus 
  ) 
  

   and 
  the 
  no 
  less 
  fair 
  and 
  elegant 
  Polish 
  Swan 
  (C. 
  immutabilis), 
  

   the 
  latter, 
  however, 
  said 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  rare 
  occurrence. 
  I 
  am 
  only 
  

   aware 
  of 
  two 
  specimens 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  obtained 
  — 
  the 
  one 
  

   in 
  1814, 
  and 
  the 
  other 
  in 
  1826." 
  (Naturalist, 
  vol. 
  iv., 
  p. 
  240.)] 
  

  

  Cygnus 
  musicus, 
  Bechstein. 
  Whooping 
  or 
  Whistling 
  Swan. 
  

  

  The 
  Whooper 
  is 
  occasionally 
  found 
  over 
  various 
  parts 
  of 
  

   " 
  Dee." 
  I 
  have 
  seen 
  it 
  upon 
  the 
  lochs 
  of 
  Kinord, 
  Davan, 
  and 
  

   Drum, 
  and 
  more 
  frequently 
  upon 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  Strathbeg, 
  where 
  

   over 
  a 
  dozen 
  have 
  been 
  observed 
  at 
  one 
  time, 
  and 
  from 
  which 
  

   place 
  the 
  bird 
  has 
  been 
  sent 
  to 
  me. 
  The 
  late 
  Mr. 
  Gordon 
  of 
  

   Cairness 
  informed 
  me 
  that 
  fourteen 
  wild 
  Swans 
  had 
  been 
  on 
  

   Strathbeg 
  most 
  of 
  the 
  month 
  of 
  July, 
  1866 
  ; 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  

   of 
  1889 
  Mr. 
  Crighton 
  of 
  Inverugie 
  saw 
  over 
  one 
  hundred 
  and 
  

   thirty 
  Swans 
  upon 
  the 
  same 
  sheet 
  of 
  water. 
  In 
  1865 
  one 
  

   was 
  killed 
  upon 
  the 
  Corby 
  Loch, 
  a 
  few 
  miles 
  to 
  the 
  north 
  of 
  

   Aberdeen, 
  and 
  two 
  in 
  1900, 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Robb. 
  Another 
  was 
  shot 
  

   at 
  Black-dog, 
  in 
  1901, 
  by 
  Mr. 
  A. 
  Duncan. 
  A 
  flock 
  of 
  nine 
  was 
  

   seen 
  flying 
  towards 
  the 
  Loch 
  of 
  Skene 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Charles 
  Eannie, 
  

   Tertowie, 
  in 
  February, 
  1899. 
  "One 
  hundred 
  and 
  seventy 
  

   have 
  been 
  counted 
  all 
  at 
  once 
  on 
  Strathbeg 
  Loch." 
  (Serle.) 
  

  

  Although 
  a 
  regular 
  visitor 
  to 
  "Dee," 
  it 
  is 
  so 
  chiefly 
  in 
  

   winter, 
  and 
  has 
  not 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  breed 
  there 
  ; 
  still, 
  they 
  

   sometimes 
  remain 
  pretty 
  late 
  in 
  spring 
  with 
  us. 
  On 
  26th 
  

   May, 
  1893, 
  I 
  saw 
  three 
  upon 
  the 
  river 
  Ythan 
  ; 
  but 
  they 
  would 
  

  

  