BLACK BRANT. 



'T^'HE Black Brant represents the common species of 

 the Atlantic shores on the Pacific coast, where it is no 

 less abundant, and ranges from Alaska to California. It 

 breeds on the shores of Alaska lying along the Arctic 

 Ocean, about the mouth of the Anderson River, and west- 

 ward possibly to the vicinity of Point Barrow. Numbers 

 go still farther north, but where no man can tell; possibly 

 to some unknown land amid the dreary expanse of the 

 frozen Polar Ocean, which no human being has ever 

 yet seen. These birds have been noticed in the autumn 

 coming over the ice from the north to Point Barrow, 

 which would make it fair to suppose that there was some 

 unknown spot beyond the frozen barrier that was favora- 

 ble for nesting and rearing the young, and other flocks of 

 this Goose have been seen flying from the north to the 

 eastward of Wrangel Land, and steering for the Alaskan 

 coast, several hundred miles to the south. 



The Black Brant is among the last of the migrants to 

 arrive in Alaska in the spring from the south. It reaches 

 St. Michael's and the mouth of the Yukon toward the 

 latter part of May, and it takes about ten days or two 

 weeks for the army of birds to pass, for none remain to 

 breed; the goal they are steering for lying still far to the 

 northward. It flies rapidly with quick, short strokes 

 of the wings, not unlike those made by its eastern rela- 

 tive, and the flock, no matter what may be its size, is 

 strung out in a single line at right angles to its course. 

 Constantly waving, undulating movements run along the 

 entire length of the line; commencing at either end, or 



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