Black Swan

SCI Name:  Cygnus atratus
Protonym:  Anas atrata IndexOrn. 2 p.834
Taxonomy:  Anseriformes / Anatidae / Cygnus
Taxonomy Code:  blkswa
Type Locality:  lakes of Australia.
Author:  Latham
Publish Year:  1790
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

CYGNUS
(Anatidae; Ϯ Mute Swan C. olor) L. cygnus or cycnus  swan  < Gr. κυκνος kuknos  swan (cf. Gr. myth. Cycnus: at least three persons of this name were metamorphosed into swans, i.e. a son of Neptune by Calyce, a son of Apollo by Hyrie, and a son of Sthenelus of Liguria). Wild populations of the Mute Swan are now absent from much of western Europe; "β.  Cygnus ferus LINN.  The wild swane.  Der wilde Schwan.  (Seligm. Cat. V.  T. 44.)" (Zimmermann 1793); "* 1. Stummer Schwan (A. Olor, Gmelin Linn,): Mit schwarzem, halbwalzenförmigem Schnabel, schwarzer Wachshaut, und schneeweißem Körper.  4½ Fuß lang.  ...   1) Die Gattung Schwan (Cygnus) hat einen etwas schaufelförmigen Schnabel mit Lamellen statt der Zähne, einen langen Hals und Füße, die etwas außer dem Gleichgewicht liegen." (Bechstein 1803); "Cygnus Bechstein, Orn. Taschenb., pt. 2, 1803, p. 404, note. Type, by monotypy, Anas olor Gmelin." (Peters, 1931, I, p. 143).    
Var. Cignus, Cyenus, Cygnos.   
Synon. Archaeocycnus, Chenopis, Clangocycnus, Cycnus, Cygnanser, Euolor, Olor, Palaeocycnus, Sthenelides, Sthenelus.

cygnus
L. cygnus or cycnus swan < Gr. κυκνος kuknos swan. Gr. myth. Cycnus or Cygnus, the son of Sthenelus king of Liguria, was sorely afflicted by the death of his friend Phaëthon and was metamorphosed into a swan. In other versions of the story Cycnus, son of Apollo, in a fit of pique at not getting his own way, threw himself from the heights of Mt. Teumessus and was changed into a swan, as was Cycnus, son of Neptune, when he was slain by Achilles.
● Swan I., Victoria, Australia (syn. Anthochaera rufogularis).
● "61. ANAS.  ...  Cygnus.  1. A. rostro semicylindrico atro, cera flava, corpore albo. Fn. svec. 88. It. wgoth. 143.  Cygnus ferus. Bell. av. 30. a. Gesn. av. 372. Aldr. ornith. l. 19. c. 1. Will. orn. 212. . . Raj. av. 136. Alb. av. 3. p. 91. t. 96. Edw. av. 150. t. 150.   β. Cygnus mansuetus. Will. orn. 271. t. 69. Raj. av. 136.  Habitat in Europa, America septentrionali.  Accedit ad nos ultimo die regelationis. Piscatur pomo. It. scan. 186. 228." (Linnaeus 1758) (Cygnus).

atrata / atratus
L. atratus  clothed in mourning  < ater  black.
● ex “Black Vulture or Carrion Crow” of Bartram 1791 (Coragyps).
● ex “Black Swan” of Phillip 1789 (Cygnus).
● ex “Black Red-tail” of Latham 1783 (?syn. Phoenicurus ochruros).