THE TASMANIAN NATURALIST. 
the water when flying (never across 
land), they must pass over the ‘‘guns - ’ 
if the birds fly in their direction. The 
boats were taken hack into the channel, 
and I stayed in the whaleboat, as that 
was 'the best spot to witness the pro¬ 
ceedings from. llirds were already Hy¬ 
ing — sometimes only one, or two and 
three together; sometimes in flocks of 
twenty or thirty. At other times they 
would come in very big flocks, and by 
counting 100 birds, then taking an ap¬ 
proximately equal number further along 
the line, this total (200) being repeated 
in like manner, it would soon be found 
that there were ut least from 1000 to 
1500 swans in one flight. The shooting 
was mostly over by 0.30, and during this 
time many flocks flew past, although it 
was said later that the birds did not fly 
well on that day. How many swans 
there were on the wing (which only 
formed a small part of the countless 
numbers left in the bays) would be be¬ 
yond my present means of even guessing 
—suffice it to say there were many 
thousands. When a flock is flying 
the black bodies of the swans do not 
show out against the dark background 
of the hills, but only the large feathers 
of the wings (the primaries and secon¬ 
daries), which nre white, and the birds 
are therefore called in that part “white 
wings”—a name I have not heard ap¬ 
plied to them elsewhere. Sometimes 
these primaries are shaded witli black, 
and one quite black swan has been seen. 
On the other hand, two birds quite white 
have been seen there — probably albino 
specimens. Full-grown swans measure 
about 4ft. Oiri. from bill to end of tail 
and 6fc. Gin. from tip to tip of out¬ 
stretched wings, but they vary consider¬ 
ably. Actual measurements of two are: 
—(a) Bill to tail, 4ft. Gin.; tip to tip of 
wings, 5ft. loin.; each wing, 2ft. 7Jin. 
(I>) Bill to tail, 4ft. 1 in.; tip to tip of 
wings, Oft. Tin'.; each wing, 2ft. 1 lin. Ten 
swans which were killed on this occasion 
were weighed, and the average was 
l.’l.Gib., lmt they vary in weight from 
101b. to nearly 201b. Mr. Cotton said 
the heaviest bird ho had weighed 
was lfljlb. It is a curious fact 
that the large primary feathers of these 
swans come out at a slight pull, as in 
stretching their wings to measure them, 
widely differing in this respect from the 
eagles, as some little effort is required 
to extract the large flight feathers of 
■the latter birds. The skin covering the 
hills of swans is somewhat loose, bright 
red, with a pink top, the shade of colour 
varying more or less with the age of the 
bird. Soon after death the colour be¬ 
comes rather dull. The peculiar rustling 
noise of their wings makes the presence 
of swans known as they fly overhead, 
and on turning to them their heads are 
seen to move first on one side and then 
on the other, looking on the scene around 
them, and it is small wonder that their 
oios have a wild ami start!" I look. The 
looser sent down to King's Bay could 
he seen in his white dinghy, ami occa¬ 
sion illy his voice was heard as he 
shouted at the birds, trying to 
frighten them nnj.1 drive them to 
the guns. Most of them flew just 
a little way up or right down the bay, 
only small parties (lip to perhaps 1000 
birds) Hying towards the shooters, and 
sometimes these would he wise enough 
to turn hack before getting within range. 
In rising, the swans flap along the sui- 
face for some distance before getting 
support from the air, and the noise of 
their myriad wings beating llie water 
can read Ay be imagined; it i- like a loud 
clapping of hands in a concert hall. It 
was heard then from some miles dis¬ 
tance, though when a large flock is fired 
at from short range with one barrel of 
a gun and they rise, the noise of tneir 
wings will drown the report of the second 
barrel. The swans always follow a 
leader when flying, and this is usu¬ 
ally an old tough gander; there¬ 
fore the shooters let that one pass 
and pick out other birds In the flock, 
the young and teuDcr, which are not so 
black In colour. They are fired at first 
when nearly up to the line, and if the 
first barrel fails to stop a bird, it has 
the second just as it passes. Tneir 
breast feathers may be thick and close 
hut the swift flight of the bird makes the 
shot hit all the harder when fired at as 
they arc coming to the guns. Flying 
with a good breeze they will travel at 
the vale of GO to 80 miles on hour, so 
that it Is not of much use to fire when 
they have passed. Those accustomed to 
swan shooting aim some 15 or 20 feet, 
ahead of the birds. A record was 
established on this occasion by a 
swan being shot dead at 120 yards range 
with n shot gun, and, a flock coming 
Down just as the shooter had waded 
out for this bird, he fired both barrels 
and secured two others; loading quickly, 
he fired again, and got two more, so 
that when he reached the firing fine he 
was towing live behind him. -\t another 
time five birds were seen to drop 
into the water simultaneously. What 
endless ways they fall through the air! 
Sometimes when killed outright at a good 
elevation they hit the water with a loud 
splash, making the spray fly, sometimes 
turning over am) over, or again falling 
ns if they would shun the water, being 
loth to leave their flight, and would drop 
slowly to the surface. The spent shot 
dropped in the water with a constant 
patter,sometimes hitting the boats or fall- 
(8) 
