130 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 
173a. White-bellied Brant. 
Branta bernicla glaucogastra (BREHM.) 
Extreme northern part of North America. (A. O. U. List, Ninth 
Supplement.) Dr. Coues. (The Auk, Vol. XIV, p. 207) gives what 
appear to be satisfactory reasons for considering this a good sub- 
species. It breeds “‘in arctic America, from the west coast of Green- 
land as far as the Parry islands and north of lat. 73° as far as land 
is known to extend.”’ 
174. Black Brant. 
Branta nigricans (LAWR.) BANNISTER. 1870. 
About the middle of May this goose makes its appearance about 
the mouth of the Yukon, and after a week or ten days passes north- 
ward to breed. Its breeding ground lies considerably to the north, 
for during the cruise of the Corwin, in the summer of 1881, we first 
met it in the vicinity of Point Barrow, where the Eskimos brought 
many of them on board. (Nelson.) About the middle of May a 
great stream of these birds pours northward between St. Michael 
island and Stewart island. Few are seen in the fall as they then 
pass through the interior going south. (Turner.) This bird appears 
at the end of the main spring migration of the water-fowl, but not in 
considerable numbers. A few remain to breed and are seen flying 
about the tundra during June. After the middle of August they 
begin to fly across the isthmus of Pergmiak coming west along the 
shore of Elson bay, crossing to the ocean and turning southward 
along the coast. (Murdoch). An abundant winter resident along 
the coasts of Vancouver island and British Columbia. (Fannin.) 
Abundant at Douglas, B.C. Saw about 300 April 20th, 1906, on 
the flat when the tide was out. All had disappeared by May rst. 
(Spreadborough.) 
BREEDING NotTes.—The nest of this bird is placed in rather 
marshy ground and is a simple depression, lined with down with 
which the eggs are completely covered when the bird leaves the 
nest. They sometimes begin to sit on four eggs and sometimes 
lay as many as six. (Murdoch.) 
