394 
ANATID M. 
I will quote what he says about it:—“ The Wild Swan 
comes into the country surprisingly early, some weeks 
before the rivers and lakes are open, even, as it would 
seem, in March, the Swan month of the Lap calendar. 
It selects a place for its nest in the middle of some 
great open marsh, and stands and waddles about the 
spot whilst the snow is going away, assisted by the 
bird in its departure in several ways, according to the 
relation of eye-witnesses. Conspicuous as it thus is, 
from a great distance at the site of its nest, and there¬ 
fore so easy to trap or snare, this fine bird has little 
chance of remaining unmolested anywhere near men. 
Within a few years, however, a pair or two have bred 
not more than fifty or sixty miles from Muonioniska. 
Now, I am afraid, the last of them has been trapped 
or shot. I have found bones of the Wild Swan, with 
those of bears and reindeer, about the old altars of the 
Laps in this neighbourhood. The birds are still to be 
found towards the head of the neighbouring river, the 
Tornea, and a good many pairs breed in the district 
where Norway, Finland, and Russia proper, come to¬ 
gether ; but most of the birds that pass over here are 
believed to go to Nova Zembla. The Russian sailors 
who frequent that land say that they breed there. * * * 
“ Only fancy a preserve of Hoopers. There is in the 
south of Sweden an English gentleman, whose name is 
well known to ornithologists, who may be almost said 
to have such a preserve upon his estate, for large flocks 
are to be seen, for months together, in a small bay there, 
which he carefully prevents being disturbed. I had the 
pleasure, under the guidance of this protector, of watch¬ 
ing them with a glass, and of hearing the delicious 
music for which Swans have been at all times celebrated, 
and which surpasses anything I had imagined in the 
