LIFE TIISTORTES OF NORTH AMERICAN WILD FOWL 245 



overland they fly hi^^li, but when travelin<>- alon«r tlie coast they 

 usually fly within a few feet of the water. Their fli<rht is ai)i)arently 

 slow and heavy, but it is really swifter than it seems. A flock of on- 

 cominii" brant is a thrilling- si^lit to the expectant gunner; he can 

 recognize afar the long wa\y line of heavy black birds; as they draw- 

 near, the white hind parts show up in marked contrast to the black 

 heads and necks; and soon he can hear their gabbling, grunting notes 

 of greeting to his well-placed decoys. They are naturally shy birds, 

 and we seldom got a shot at the passing flocks when anchored off the 

 shoie in small boats. But on their feeding grounds they are more 

 fearless and will decoy well to live or even wooden decoys around a 

 well-concealed blind. Brant can swim well, but do not dive unless 

 hard-pressed. They prefer to skulk and hide by stretching the neck 

 out on the water or in the grass. They are very fond of sand and 

 like to rest on sandy points and sand bars. 



Mr. Cordeaux (1898) describes the voice of the brant very well, 

 as follows: 



Tile common ciy or call note of the brant is a loud metallic chrouk, chrouk. 

 The confused gabbling and mixed cries of a flock can be heard at an Immense 

 distance at sea. Tliey have another, and double, note, which has been likened 

 to the word toroek, constantly repeated on the wing ; and the alarm cry is a 

 single word, wauk. 



Dr. D. G. Elliott (1898) says: 



It lias a peculiar guttural note, which is frequently uttered, resembling 

 car-r-r-rup, or r-r-r-ro\ik, or r-r-rup, and with a rolling intonation, and, when 

 a large number of these birds are gathered together, the noise they make is 

 incessant and deafening. I have been in the vicinity of a bar on which were 

 congregated many thousands of brant, and their voices made such a din that 

 it was difficult to hear one's own in speaking, and when they rose at the 

 report of a gun the sound of their myriad wings was as the roar of rushing 

 waters. 



Fall. — Winter comes early in the far Nortli, and the brant are 

 forced to start on their fall migration early in September or even 

 lale in August. The route dirters only slightly from that taken 

 in the spring. They now migrate down the west coast of Hudson 

 Bay, cross eastern Canada to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which they 

 reach late in September, cross the neck of Nova Scotia to (he Vy.\\ of 

 Funcly, and then head straight for Cape Cod, where they usually 

 begin to arrive about the middle of October. So far their flight 

 has been more \-<\\m\ tlum in the s])ring, but from here on their 

 movements are more leisurely and they scatter along the coast, 

 lingering at favorable spots until well into the winter. 



Game. — From the standpoint of the epicure the brant is oue of our 

 finest game birds, in my o])inion ihe finest, not even excepting the 

 far-famed canvasback. I can not think of any more delicious bird 



