556 BRANTA BERNICLA, BRANT GOOSE 



Snow, the White-fronted, and the present species, have almost precisely 

 the same liabits and the same food during their stay with us, and asso- 

 ciate so intimately together that many, if not most, of the flocks con- 

 tain representatives of all three. At least, after considerable study of 

 the Geese in Arizona and Southern California, I have been unable to 

 recognize any notable differences in choice of feeding grounds. 



The following extract on Hutchins' Goose, from Dr. Heermann's Keport, 

 will be found interesting: "While huntiug during a space of two months 

 in the Suisun Valley I observed them, with other species of Geese, at 

 dawn, high in the air, winging their way toward the prairies and hiily 

 slopes, where the tender young wild oats and grapes offer a temi)ting 

 pasturage. Their early tiight lasted abont two hours, and as far as the 

 eye conld reach the sky was spotted with flock after flock, closely fol- 

 lowing in each other's wake, till it seemed as though all the Geese of 

 California had given rendezvous at this particnliir point. Between 10 

 and 11 o'clock they would leave the prairies, first in small squads, then 

 in large masses, settling in the marshes and collecting around the ponds 

 and sloughs thickly edged with heavy reeds. Here, swimming in the 

 water, bathing and pluming themselves, they keep ui) a continual but 

 not unmusical clatter. This proves the most propitions time of the day 

 for the hunter, who, under cover of the tall reeds and guided by their 

 continaal cackling, approaches closely enough to deal havoc among 

 them. Discharging one load as they sit on the w^ater and another as 

 they rise, I have thus seen tw enty-three Geese gathered from two shots, 

 while many more, wounded and maimed, fluttered away and were lost. 

 About 1 o'clock they leave the marshes and return to feed on the prai- 

 ries, flying low, and affording the sportsman again an opportunity to 

 stop their career. In the afternoon, about 5 o'clock, they finally leave 

 the prairies, and, rising high up in the air, wend their w^ay to the roost- 

 ing places whence they came in the morning. These were often at a 

 great distance, as I have followed them in their evening flight until they 

 were lost to view. Many, however, roost in the marshes. Our boat, 

 sailing one night down the sloughs leading to Suisun Bay, having come 

 among them, the noise they made as they rose in advance of us, emit- 

 their cry of alarm (their disordered masses being so serried that we 

 could hear their pinions strike each other as they flew), impressed us 

 with the idea that w^e must have disturbed thousands. Such are the 

 habits of the Geese during the winter. Tow^ard spring they separate 

 into smaller flocks, and gradually disappear from the country, some few 

 only remaining, probably crippled and unable to follow the more vigor- 

 ous in their northern migration." 



BRANTA BERNICLA, (Linn.) Scop. 



Brant tioose; Black Brant. 



a. hernicla. 



Jnas fcerHicZfl, Linn.. Syst. Nat. i, 1766, 198.— Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 513.— Lath., Ind. 



Orn. ii, 1790, 844.— Wii.s., Ara. Orn. viii, 1814, pi. 72, f. 1.— Tkmm., Mau. 181.'), 



531 ; ii, 1835, 824.— Less., Man. ii, 1828, 408. 

 Brnnta hernicla, Scop., Bemerk. Natnrg. 1770, 73. — Gray, Hand-li.st, iii, 1871. 76, No. 



10575.— Banx., Pr. Pliila. Acad. 1870, 131.— Coues, Key, 1872, 284, f. 184". 

 Anser hcniicla, III., Prod. 1811, 277.— Vieill., Euc. Moth, i, 1823, 121.— Bp., Syii. 1828, 



378.— Sw. & Ricn., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 469.- Nutt., Mau. ii, 1834, 359.— Temm.. 



Mau. iv, 1840, 522.— Aud., Oru. Bios- v, 1839, 24, 610, pi. 391 ; Syu. 1839, 272 ; 



B. Am. vi, 1843, 203, pi. 379.— Sw., Classif. B. ii, 1837, 365.— Sklys-L., Fu. Belj^. 



i, 1842, 139.— Gil!., B. L. I. 1844, 293.— DeKay, N. Y. Zool. 1844, 351.— Schl., 



Rev. Crit. 1844, 100; M. P.-B. vii, 1865, 105.— Degl., Oru. Eur. ii, 1849, 404.— 



PUTN., Pr. Ess. lust, i, 185(5, 219. 



