Life on the upper Thames - swan-upping (1875)

Image Title : "Swan Hopping". Swan upping on the Thames, 1875 illustration. "The skiffs belonging to the Queen, the Dyers' Company and the Vintners' Company are identified by their respective flags. The crews, sporting swan feathers in their hats, catch the birds by the neck with their swan-hooks and immobilize them in the boats by tying their feet behind their backs ; marking - or as shown here pinioning - of both adult and immature birds is carried out on the bank." (Description from Arthur MacGregor, "Swan rolls and beak markings. Husbandry, exploitation and regulation of Cygnus olor in England, c. 1100-1900", Anthropozoologica, 1995, vol. 22, p. 41)