THE BRENT GOOSE. 14-5 



ever, to come southward continually by successive partial 

 migrations, until the freezing of the feeding-grounds 

 compel it to march southwardly. 



The food of the Brant is principally the eel-grass, Zos- 

 tvra Marina, wherever that favorite dainty of all the 

 aquatic tribes is to be found in plenty, and a broad-leaved, 

 bright green marine plant, called by the country people 

 sea-cabbage, which adheres to the' stones on most of our 

 beaches. After these it never dives although it is 

 remarkable that when wing-tipped it is the most dexter- 

 ous of the family, often going a hundred yards or upward 

 under water, and being therefore regarded as almost 

 impossible to kill, if not shot dead outright. At low wa- 

 ter it wades about incessantly, tearing up its favorite 

 vegetables by the roots, but neglecting to eat them until 

 they are floated away with the rising tide, when it does 

 not take wing, as most wild-fowl, but floats away idly in 

 long lines with its companions, in pursuit of its now 

 floating dainty, and fares sumptuously on the proceeds 

 of its previous industry. They are not impugn acious 

 birds, being often seen fighting among themselves, and 

 beating the ducks away from their feeding-grounds ; their 

 cry is a hoarse, gabbling, honking sound, very different, 

 however, from the honk of the "Wild-Goose, and by far 

 more difficult to imitate, and is said closely to resemble, 

 when several hundreds are screaming together, the cho- 

 rus of a pack of hounds in full cry. 



On their return from the south, with renovated powers, 

 7 



