ish gray, shading into light gray on the breast and 

 abdomen; back, a little darker; the feathers being gray, 

 tipped with lighter gray, with a subterminal band of 

 brownish gray; legs, flesh color. 



Nest and Eggs The nests are usually found on the 

 small islands of the salt marshes, and contain eight to 

 ten eggs of a dull white color. 



Measurements Wing, about 15V 2 inches; bill, 1% 

 inches. 



THE BLACK SEA BRANT 



(Branta nigricans) 



The black sea brant is another purely Pacific Coast 

 species, found nowhere else except as a straggler. They 

 resemble the barnacle brant of the Atlantic (Branta 

 barnicla) except in the shape of the head and bill. A 

 differing characteristic, however, is that the white speck- 

 ling on the sides of the neck of the barnacle brant ex- 

 tends all around the front of the neck in the case of the 

 black sea brant. As their name implies, these are pure- 

 ly seabirds, rarely flying over the land even, and only 

 found in such bays as produce the eel grass on which 

 they feed almost exclusively. I only know of the follow- 

 ing places within the Pacific Coast shooting grounds 

 where the black sea brant is found. These are: Puget 

 sound, Washington; Coos bay, Oregon; Humboldt, To- 

 males, Moro and San Diego bays, California, and Mag- 

 dalena bay, Lower California. In most of these places 

 they are plentiful during the winter season. Of all 

 birds that fall to the aim of the sportsman, the black 

 sea brant is the most difficult to get within range of. 

 This is only accomplished by great caution and a good 

 deal of strategy, but when they are brought to bag the 

 reward is a full compensation, for of all the waterfowl 

 their flesh is the most delicious. The sea brant is rare- 

 ly found away from the haunts mentioned, yet the bird 

 from which the accompanying illustration was made 

 was killed from a small flock that had strayed into 

 the lower end of San Francisco bay, near Redwood City, 

 and was mounted by that accomplished sportsman and 

 taxidermist, Chase Littlejohn, of that place. 



Color General color, black; throat, with a white 

 or speckled ring all around the neck, except a small 

 portion of the back; flanks, mottled white and blacki; 

 under tail feathers, white. 



Nest and Eggs The nest is only a depression on the 

 ground, but nicely lined with down. The eggs, num- 

 bering six to eight, are of a dull white. 



Measurements Wing, 13 inches; bill, l l / 2 inches. 

 103 



