440 Messrs. H. Seebohm and J. A. Harvie Brown on 
we purchased. He then told us that the bird had been caught 
at the nest, and was in the possession of his mate, who was 
still fishing down the river. He could not have heard any 
thing of our offer of a reward, as we were the first to speak 
with him after his arrival. We took the first opportunity, 
which occurred some days after (on the 6th July), of going down 
the river with the steamer to Stanavoialachta, near which 
place we found the men we wanted, one of whom was known 
to our steersman. Big Feodor, and whom some time before 
we ourselves had actually spoken to when returning from our 
first trip to Stanavoialachta. We were promptly informed 
that the skin of the Swan was then lying at Mikitsa, a small 
village five versts south of Kuya, in the house of the fisher¬ 
man who had sent it up there, and that we could get it if 
we paid for it. We returned to Alexievka; and next day we 
intrusted our most intelligent man, Little Feodor, to ferret 
out the bird at Mikitsa, sending him up to Kuya in the 
steamer. In due course he returned triumphantly bearing 
the skin, with feet attached, and the bill separate. He had 
purchased the former for one rouble, and had also secured 
the bill, which, in accordance with the usual practice, had 
been cut off and given to the children to play with. There 
was no other Swan's skin in the house, nor, as far as he could 
learn, in the village, except this. It was Bewick's Swan; 
and we have every reason to believe, and none whatever to 
doubt, that it was the veritable bird caught upon the nest 
which contained the two eggs which we had purchased from 
the other fisherman on the 29th June. We consider these 
eggs thoroughly satisfactory, and the chain of evidence in all 
reason complete. 
The egg of C. bewicki is smaller than that of C. musicus, 
the former measuring 3*95 inches in length, and the latter 
44 to 4*6. We may also remark that our eggs of the Wild 
Swan are cream-coloured and glossy, whilst those of Bewick's 
Swan are white and dull. 
On the 26th July two of our boatmen, Little Feodor and 
Simeon, came to the wreck at Dvoinik carrying a fine Bew¬ 
ick's Swan. They had had a long day /and night upon the 
