336 



lewis's AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



owing to their wild and wandering disposition, but little has been 

 accomplished towards this end. 



DESCRIPTION. 



"The brant generally weighs about four pounds avoirdupois, 

 and measures two feet in length and three feet six inches in ex- 

 tent; the bill is about an inch and a half long, and black; the 

 nostril large, placed nearly in its middle ; head, neck, and breast 

 black, the neck marked with a spot of white about two inches below 

 the eye ; belly pale ash, edged with white ; from the thighs back- 

 wards, white; back and wing-coverts dusky brownish-black, the 

 plumage lightest at the tips ; rump and middle of the tail-coverts 

 black ; the rest of the tail-coverts pure white, reaching nearly to 

 the tip of the tail, the whole of which is black, but usually con- 

 cealed by the white coverts ; primaries and secondaries deep black ; 

 legs also black ; irides dark hazel. 



"The only material difference observable between the plumage 

 of the male and female is, that in the latter the white spot on the 

 neck is less, and more mottled with dusky. In young birds it is 

 sometimes wanting, or occurs on the front, cheeks, and chin, and 

 sometimes the upper part of the neck only is black ; but in full- 

 plumaged birds of both sexes the markings are very much alike." 



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