RARE BIRDS KILLED IN THE WINTER OF 1837-8. 
415 
my friend Mr. Bartlett, of Museum-Street, to whom I am much indebted for 
allowing me to examine them. I dissected most of them, and arrived at the 
result that there is no external difference whatever by which the sexes may be 
constantly distinguised; old females having every character of the male. It is 
remarkable that several years must elapse before the trachea elongates, forming 
the horizontal loop backward ; for only one specimen (a female) out of six purely 
white-birds exhibited this structure. In general, the sternal apparatus, with the 
trachea and its accessories, is chiefly distinguishable from that of the Hooper 
Swan by its smaller size, and the very different form of the bronchi. 
The number of tail feathers I have found in both species to be singularly 
variable, and not unfrequently uneven, while the closest internal scrutiny has 
failed to detect that any were accidentally deficient. In the Hooper the numbers 
are 20, 21, and 22 ; and in the Bewick’s Swans 18, 19, and 20. 
At the time of the first appearance of these birds the young were wholly grey, 
but as the winter advanced a few white feathers made their appearance, chiefly 
among the scapularies ; the tendency to moult, however, appeared to be checked, 
probably from want of sufficient nourishment, rather than in consequence of 
reduced temperature ; for I can hardly conceive that birds so well protected by a 
close covering of exquisite down as the different Trumpeting Swans are,* can be 
much affected by cold. An immature Hooper, which was added to the collection 
of living water-fowl in St. James’s Park, has only lately recommenced the renewal 
of its feathers, but is now moulting rapidly; at the time it was captured, late in 
January, there was not the slightest sign of yellow upon its bill; a trace of this 
hue became noticeable about the beginning of April, and at present (May 8) all the 
basal portion has become conspicuously yellow, though not so bright as in the 
old birds in winter. In the summer this portion becomes of a very brilliant 
gamboge-yellow in the adults; there is little doubt but that this young bird, of 
the preceding season, will become undistinguishable from older specimens by 
about midsummer. 
My friend Mr. Hoy assures me, that a very large male Hooper that was 
brought to him alive, had a distinct and conspicuous black band crossing the 
yellow near the base of the bill; a trace of which he has remarked in one other 
specimen. This character must be of extremely rare occurrence. 
Respecting the rufous tinge which is sometimes visible on all the white Swans, 
I may remark, that this is no sure indication of youth, as generally considered. 
It is more prevalent, perhaps, though still not universal, in young birds, but it is 
number of Bewick’s Swans at a stall in Newgate Market; probably there were not less than 
thirty, all of this species. 
* The down of a Hooper Swan is worth about four times that upon an individual of the Mute 
species, which it far exceeds in quantity as well as quality. 
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