ANATID.E— THE SWANS, OEESE, AND DUCKS. 125 



Branta bernicla (Linn.) 



BRANT. 

 PODUlar synomyms. Brant Goose : Bront Gooso : Common Brant. 

 Anas heniirla LlNN. 8. N. eil. 10, i, 1758, 121; ed. 12, i, 1766, 198.— WlLS. Am. Orn. viii, 1814, pi. 



72, flg. 1. 

 Anser bernicla Xusia. Prodr. 1811,277.— Sw. & Rich J". B. -A. il, 1831,469.— Nutt. Man. 



ii. 1831, 359.— AUD. Orn. Biog. v, 1839. 21, 610, pi. 39^ynop. 1839, 272; B. Am. vi, 1813, 



203. pi. 379. 

 Branta bernicla ScopOLi, Ann. I. Hist. Nat. 1769, 67.— Bannist. Proo. Acad. Nat. Sei. Phila. 



1870. 131.— CouES. Key, 1872, 284; Check List, 1873, No. 484; B. N. W. 1874, 55(;.— A. O. 



U. Cheek List. 18S6, No. 173.— Bidow. Man. N. Am. B. 1887. 118. 

 Anser brenta Pall. Zoog. Rosso. -As. ii, 1826, 223. 



Bernicla brenta Stephens. Gen. Zoul. xii. pt. ii, 1824, 4C.— Baied, B. N. Am. 1858, 767; 



Cat. N. Am. B. lS.5'J.No.570.— IliDow. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 595.— CouES, Chock 



List, 2d ed. 1882, No. 700.— B. B. & E. Water B.N. Am. i, lS8t, 467. 

 Anser torqiiata Fbisch. Vog. Deut.ichl. ii, pi. 156. 

 JBemicto mc(nnopi.s Macgill. Man. Orn. il, 1842, 151. 



Had. Eastern North America in general, but chiefly the Atlantic coast; rare in tho in- 

 terior, or away from salt water; breeds In hyperborean latitudes. PaUcarctic Region. 



8p. Chab. AiIkU (No. 63.616. New York market: J. H. Batty). Head. neck, and eliost 

 continuous black, the anterior portion of the head having a brownish cast; rostorior out- 

 line of the black on the chest very regular and sharply-dellned against the brownish gray 

 of the breast. Middle of the neck with a transverse cresoentic patch of white on each side, 

 formed of white tips and sub-tips of the feathers, the black showing thiough in places so 

 as to form oblique lines. Above, smoky-slate, the foa hers distincly bordered termi- 

 nally with a much paler and more brownish shade. Wings like the back, but with a some- 

 what less brownish cast, the paler margins nearly obsolete. Sceondaries blackish brown; 

 primaries brow^nish black. Tail uniform black, but almost concealed by the snow-white 

 lengthened covert.s. the upper of which, however, are invaded by a median stripe of black- 

 ish brown from the rump. Breast, abdomen, sides, and (lanks much hke the upper parts, 

 hut the light tips to the feathers whiter, broader, and more conspicuous; anal region and 

 crlssum immaculate pure white. Wing, 12.30 inches; culmen.1.20; tar8us,2.05; middle too, 

 1.70. 



Young (No. 12,786, Washington, D. C, December, 1858: 0. Drbxler). Similar to the 

 adult, but the wing-coverts and secondaries broadly tipped with pure white, forming very 

 conspicuous bars. Lower parts paler and more uniform; white on middle of the neck re- 

 duced to small spooks. 



The Brant is chiefly a salt-wator sjieeics, and therefore not 

 oft«n seen in tlic interior, thonj^h, as Professor Cooke, in his 

 "Bird Mi<^-ation in tlu^ Mississippi Valley" (p. 78) has correctly 

 stated, "there is much uneortainty in usinp; the records coneeni- 

 inj? this specify, becau.se it is so commonly confounded with the 

 Snow Goose, which is locally known as Brant all throuj^^h the 

 West. From t\n\feio records that can be depended on it would 

 seem to have niif^rated at about the same time as Bninln cun- 



Professor Cooke says that "diiriiif;' tlie winter of I88.'i-S4 (his 

 species was represented from Illinois southward by a few rare 



