THE TRUE SWANS. 
253 
Eange outside the British Islands. — Bewick’s Swan breeds in 
North-eastern Russia and in Northern Siberia. It may even 
be found to nest throughout the Arctic Regions of the Old 
World, more especially on the islands, as it occurs in winter in 
the Japanese and Chinese Seas. Messrs. Seebohm and Harvie- 
Brovvn found the species breeding on the Betchora, and, until 
last year, this was the most western breeding-range recorded 
for the species, but Mr, Trevor-Battye has now jarocured it on 
Kolguev, as was predicted in 1885 by Mr. Seebohm (Hist. Br, 
B. iii. p. 485), when he wrote : “ We are driven to believe that 
the Swans which are known to breed in great numbers on the 
island of Novaya Zemlyaand Kolguev, and of which the species 
has not yet been determined, are Bewick’s Swans, which mi- 
grate east in autumn, give the shores of Norway a wide berth, 
and drop down to winter on the western coasts of our islands.” 
The occurrences of the species on the coasts of Northern Europe 
are few, with the exception of the British Islands, though it has 
been know’n to visit even the Mediterranean countries occa- 
sionally. 
Haliits For the account of these I am obliged once more to 
give an extract from Mr. Seebohm’s work on British Birds, as he 
is almost the only naturalist who has seen this Srvan in its breed- 
ing-haunts, and has given an account of its habits. lie writes : — 
“The first Swan which ventured as far north as the Arctic 
Circle, in the valley of the Yencsei, during the weary months 
when Captain Wiggins and I were waiting for the arrival of 
summer, was seen on the sth of May. It is probable, how- 
ever, that this pioneer soon returned to the south, as we shw 
nothing more of them for some weeks. On the 9th Geese began 
to arrive, after the i6th they came in considerable numbers ; but 
we saw no more Swans until the 28th, when many flocks 
passed over. During the next fortnight hundreds of large and 
small flocks winged their way over our heads, after which we 
saw no more of them until we got down to the Delta. They 
are quite as noisy as their allies, and are constantly calling to 
each other as they fly over, but their note is not so harsh. 
I call it a musical bark ; Naumann expresses it as klung ; 
and Sir Ralph Fayne-Gallwey as tong, musically and quickly 
uttered. 
“ Bewick’s Swan is quite as shy and difficult of approach as 
