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Rev. H. N. Hind on the Whooper Swans 
XIX.— Note on the Whooper Swans which visit the 
River Eden in Cumberland. By The Rev. II. N. Hind. 
(Text-figure 15.) 
As an instance of wild birds responding to care and attention, 
where such treatment is afforded them, the following record 
of some annual visits of Whooper Swans ( Cygnus rnusicus) 
to the city of Carlisle during the past eight years may be of 
interest to readers of f The Ibis/ 
In December 1904 a Whooper Swan of the year appeared on 
the River Eden at Carlisle, consorting with the Mute Swans 
kept bv the Corporation of the city. It was first recognised 
by Mr. D. L. Thorpe, M.B.O.U., and its arrival was soon well 
known. It became quite tame after a while, and would go 
to be fed by the park-keeper along with the Mute Swans. 
It stayed all through the winter, and left on May 8th, 1905. 
The bird returned to its winter-quarters at Carlisle on 
the 16th of November, 1905, and left for its northern home 
on the 29th of April, 1906. The following winter it returned 
to Carlisle on the 30th of November, 1906, and it left on 
the 7th of May, 1907. The bird’s next appearance was 
on February 1st, 1908, this being the latest date of its arrival 
up to that time. It left again on May 6th, 1908. In 1909 
its arrival was later still, namely, on the 28th of February, 
while it left on April 21st. 
The following winter an interesting event happened, for on 
the 24th of December, 1909, no fewer than four Whoopers 
appeared, all of them adults. 
On their arrival they were very shy, with the exception of 
the old bird that had come for so many winters. This bird 
came to be fed as usual, but the other three kept aloof in 
midstream. By the first week in January 1910, the three new 
comers had gained confidence, and swam up to be fed along 
with the old Whooper and the Mute Swans, and would allow 
passers-by to walk within four yards of them before they 
swam away. One pair of this company of four Whoopers 
