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Show 1877.] MR. J. H. GURNEY ON THE POLISH SWAN. 379 5. Note on the Polish Swan. By J. H. GURNEY, F.Z.S. [Received June 5th, 1877.] On the 12th April, 1876, the female of a pair of " Polish Swans," received by me some weeks previously from the Gardens of this Society, completed laying a clutch of six eggs and commenced her incubation-there being no other Swans in this parish (Northrepps), and consequently no possibility of intermixture. On the 21st and 22nd May the eggs were hatched, with tbe exception of one that was addled. I saw the cygnets on the 23rd, and made the following note respecting their coloration : - " The upper parts are brownish grey with a slight rufous tinge; the head, throat, and breast, where visible above the water, are white, but the white is not separated from the grey by any defined line, the two tints gradually blending into each other." On the 2nd June they were visited by an ornithological friend, Mr. Thomas Southwell, who described them at that date in the following words :-"The buff tinge was hardly perceptible, except on the back, which appeared of a rich creamy buff, with the underparts nearly pure white." Mr. Southwell brought with him for comparison the skin of an ordinary cygnet of similar age, which was about equally white on the head and underparts, but decidedly greyer on the back, and without any drab tint, according to a memorandum which I made at the time. On the 7th June I made the following note : - " The cygnets seem to be gradually losing their drab tint on the back, though it is still visible, but it seems to be merging into a pale grey, almost white ; a pure white spot, about the size of a pea, is conspicuous on the down of the forehead immediately above the bill. On the 17th June the largest of the five cygnets was killed by a rat, which devoured the head, neck, and part of the back ; the down on the remaining portion of the bird was pure white, the bill and feet being pale greenish-grey. On the 22nd I had a close view of the remaining tour cygnets : their heads and necks were quite white ; but the white spot on the forehead was still apparent, being a brighter white than the rest of the head ; the down on the back was white, but apparently with slight remains of a drab tinge about the roots ; the smallest cygnet appeared the whitest of the four. On the 17th July I again had a close view of the cygnets, and then made the following memorandum :-" The three largest are beginning to show the tail-feathers and some slight sprouts of wing-feathers; all these, with the down adjacent to them and the down on the thighs, are a pale cinnamon-brown ; elsewhere they are white, except a slaty tint on the forehead, beneath which the little white frontal spot is still visible. The smallest cygnet, which is the most backward, is still white all over." On the 24th July smnll feathers of a cinnamon-brown were visible between and adjoining the wings of 37* |