BEWICK'S SWAN.
concealed. Before coming within range, nearly a dozen tame Swans which were being ahn driven before
the boats came very close, ami I fired just before the birds could join company. It was a long shot, but the
bone of the right wing was broken close to the body, and it only required a short chase aud a shot from the
shoulder-gun to put an end to the sullorings of the unfortunate wounded bird. On examination, our prize
proved to 1M; a Bewick's Swan, a female in line plumage, though only weighing 0 lbs. 1 was out again in the
evening to make an attempt to obtain a shot at the Uoldeneycs, to convince the natives that they were not
Tufted Ducks, but did not happen to fall in with them."
The next entry in my notes is nuder the date of the 8th of December, of the same year, and refers again to
these Swan- on lliekling Broad. Commencing, however, with the 0th, the state of the weather will be liotter
ascertained:—
"December 0. Not a single fowl, Large or small, to IK- seen in the vicinity of the broad. We were only
euabled with great difficulty to break through the ice to lliekling, to see the keeper, as the three nights' frost
hail almost made it strong enough to bear one's weight if walking across.
" December si. To-day wc commenced to cut a ' wake in the ice off Hush Hills, and, by help of saws
ami halcbets, cleared a space of about one hundred yards long and twenty wide. Not a fowl seen all day, with
the e\ception of a tingle Swan, probably a Bewick's, which passed over the broad, flying towards the northeast.
" December !). By mid-day we completed cutting the ' wake.' Very few fowl passed all day, only some
half-dozen small parties of Divers that made their way in from the sea and, finding no accommodation, as the
broad was all laid w ith ice, at once took their departure, and a herd of about fifty Bewick's Swans; these birds
flew very low, hut gave no signs of alighting, holding a straight course to the west. An unfortunate though
somewhat amusing mishap occurred to-day while I had left for a few minutes a small thatched shed built up with
willow-stakes and covered in with reeds, on the islet off the point of Hush Hills, to catch a glimpse of the
Swans passing over the broad. There were ten or a dozen men at work anil two, both farmers, who while out
with their guns had stopped to assist us, had brought dogs with them. These sagacious animals hod remained
on the island while their masters were engaged at the 1 wake' It hail been my occupation, assisted by one of
the men, lo attend to the preparation of our lunch, and a dozen tins of Cross and Blackwell's soup had just
been heated in a large pan atid made ready for use. On the Swans being reported in sight, I went out to
ascertain, if possible, to which species they belonged, and to call in the men fo take their lunch. Having satisfied
myself that the birds were all Bewick's Swans, and evidently bound for other quarters, I returned to serve out. the
allowance, when we discovered that the two dogs left on the island had tilted over our pan of soup and consumed
as much of the bones and meat as they could collect from the flooring of rushes on which it had fallen.
Conscious of their iniquity, the delinquents had instantly made their way across the ice on the broad to Swimcoats,
where they now sat on the bank surrounding the marsh watching us intent ly, and probably in expectation
of a severe reprimand. One of my own retrievers, old ' Nell,' often referred to in these pages, had not
moved from the position she had taken up near the stove when I left, and was evidently perfectly innocent of
any participation in the crime, wagging her tail and exhibiting great delight at my return. Luckily a largo
stock of tins of preserved soups was at hand, and plenty of assistance being now procurable, a fresh supply was
soon obtained, as only our soup had been interfered with. If I remember right, one of tbo culprits paid with
his life for the oll'enee, being shot by bis master as soon as he came within range in a retired portion of the
marshes on the way towards home."
My earliest experience with Bewick's Swan was in the winter of 1SG0, when I knocked down a fine bird or
this species into the river running from the town of Bye, towards the harbour mouth. I had been out in a
small rowing-boat, an old-fashioned tub, but luckily strongly built, with well-faslened timbers. My craft had
• A '• nka " ii tfii: HUM girea in thin put of tlio country tu j cutting niude in the ice to nblum n|-n water fur tie time Swam.
BEWICK'S SWAN.
been moored at slack tide to a strong post driven in the mud, when I mounted the river-hank to ascertain if any
Snipe were about, and I was returning slowly when t wo Swans, evident ly belonging to I hi- specie, wnU,-nn|
Hying out from the inland marshes towards the coast. As soon us they came within range I was ready, and
one drop]icd at once, falling about the middle of the river, and the other went oil' hard bit, giving signs of a
fatal wound. On arriving at the river-bank I discovered that the tide was now sweeping down with considerable
speed, and the bird was some hundred yards or so further down. Starting at 0000, I made the best of my way,
but the blocks of ice tumbling over and rolling down were a groat drawback, and the Swan, Happing ami
swimming with repeated strokes of its powerful paddles, was making good headway. A shof Bred cut a lot of
feathers from the head and neck ; hut the bird proceeded on with still greater speed, and the POWder-fhuk*
having been knocked from my hand by the force of a collision with an immense block of iec, fell into the
water that the boat had taken in, aud I was unable to lire another shot. The bird now rapidly increased the
distance lwtwceu us, and speedily flapped out of sight w hen the broken waves between the piers were reached.
It was not an easy matter to reach the shore, but the difficulties were soon overcome; it is, however, quite
possible that had it not been for the assistance rendered by the crew of one of the vessels lying at the wharf,
my boat Would have lieen swept out lo sea.
While shooting a few Larks, one morning in .January 1871, on the marshes near Shoreliam harbour, in
Sussex, a Bewick's Swan making its way inland from the Channel flew close over my head; having, however,
only earfridges loaded with No. 10 shot, the charge had little or no effect. An hour before [ had sent one of
my boatmen into the village for some lunch and a supply of heavy cartridges ; but unfortunately the latter were
forgotten, and to this the bird owed its escape.
During the winter of ISflS I was staying at Tain, in the east of ltoss-shire, for the Willi gunning on the
Dornoch Firth; while returning home from the Meikle Ferry on a cold night in the large double punt close
to the south shore, we had a narrow escape of what might have proved a serious accident. I was working the
boat slowly along myself, and the puntnian was lung forward half asleep, resting on tin' stock of the; big gun
which was trained ready for a shot. Just before we arrived off Morangie, and as soon as the darkness had
commenced to set in, I detected a punt-guntier, conspicuous by his white jacket, rowing rapidly towards us.
As our gun was pointing straight for bis craft, I called to John the punt man, and ordered him to shin tin;
barrel to one side. Without allowing me time to stop him, he put the hammer on full-cock and pulled the
lanyard. Housed from his -lumber, he imagined I had directed him to tire the gnu at a Swan, in his halfstupified
condition mistaking the white jacket of the puntmon for one of these birds. Luckily the oakum
with which wc had covered the cap to exclude the damp had clung round the hammer, ami there wtl no
explosion, or it would probably have gone bard with the punt-gunner from the Meikle Perry, at whom ho
aimed, and who remaiued perfectly ignorant of what had occurred.