Talk:Swan
From Academic Kids
Something is wrong with the species and common names on this page. For instance why does a swan called the American whistling swan only live in Britain? The article text and the chart at the bottom of the page do not agree, I think. Surely this is a mistake. Rmhermen 16:32 Mar 5, 2003 (UTC)
What species name is used for the tundra swan by those who consider it a separate species from Bewick's swan? Vicki Rosenzweig
- Those who consider them to be separate species call them C. columbianus and C. bewickii respectively. This was explained in my earlier pedantic and hard-to-read version (http://www.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Swan&oldid=766947) but was lost in Jimfbleak's otherwise successful improvement. -- Heron
I think my picture looks nicer than the one placed in the table, does anyone else agrreed it should be resized and changed? Also my picture is a picture for wikipedia, not a public domain image from anotehr site. -fonzy
- You don't need anyone's permission to change it, although its nice that you've taken the trouble to ask. The only thing I would say is that 250 pixel width has become semi-standard for pictures in tables, with a link to a larger version if desired.
- After all, your picture may also be replaced or editted at some future date-go for it. jimfbleak 05:36 May 13, 2003 (UTC)
- I didn't spot your pic (honestly I didn't!) when I put mine into the taxobox or I would have chosen one which looked less like yours.
- I can't understand why you say my pic is "a public domain image from another site". It certainly is not from another site, I took the pic myself and it doesn't appear anyewhere else on the internet. I went over to the local park specially to take pictures for Wikipedia.
- My method is that I always give a larger version for anyone who wants to print the pic or to use it in a project and I make it 250 pixels wide to fit the "standard" taxobox size.
- Adrian Pingstone 21:53 3 Jul 2003 (UTC)
- My method is that I always give a larger version for anyone who wants to print the pic or to use it in a project and I make it 250 pixels wide to fit the "standard" taxobox size.
Dining on swan
".. roast swan is a traditional item at celebratory dinners in certain Oxbridge colleges.. "
- Erm... this is Peterhouse in Porterhouse Blue surely and not a reality - I don't think that you can actually dine on Swan m so unless someone provides firm evidence I think this should be removed. IVoteTurkey 15:44, 13 Dec 2004 (UTC)
swan ownership
reverted recent edit since no swans other than Mute Swan are owned by the the crown, and only some of those.
Nonsense etymology
Taken out of the article:
- The word "swan" comes to us, unchanged, from the ancient Anglo-Saxon language of England.
So do many hundreds of words...
- It is possible that the word swan has its ultimate root even earlier, arising in part from the Celtic Brythonic survival Gwen (meaning "white").
Er, no... compare German Schwan, Dutch zwaan and Norse svanr. No need for any Caltic survival whatsoever.
