THE SNOW-GEESE, BRANT, ETC. 159 



their note, and their attention may be attracted to 

 the decoys by raising and lowering a foot from the 

 battery. 



Like the geese they are fond of sand, and may be 

 shot as they travel to and from the bars, or from am- 

 bush, when the place they are using is discovered. 



Brant do not fly very rapidly, and are not very diffi- 

 cult marks; in fact they are quite easy when they 

 come to the decoys. 



Their flesh is excellent, much better than that of the 

 geese, and they are eagerl}^ sought for in the markets. 

 Their sale should be at all times prohibited, since this 

 would end the shooting of pot-hunters and market 

 gunners who annually destroy large numbers of brant. 



The black brant is, as the name would indicate, 

 darker than the Eastern variety, but in other respects 

 much like it. They are excellent table birds, and 

 large numbers are shot every winter in California. 

 They were extremely abundant on the bay at San 

 Diego, but my stay in Southern California was of 

 short duration, and I did not go in pursuit of them. 



The black brant fly usually strung out in long lines. 

 They are wild, shy birds, and more easily taken over 

 decoys than in any other manner. 



This bird, like the cinnamon teal, is seen as an occa- 

 sional visitor to the Atlantic coasts, having no doubt 

 missed its way when starting on the northern migra- 

 tion. I have never seen them excepting in California. 



It was not unusual, some years ago, for California 

 sportsmen and market-gunners to make immense bags 

 of these birds, but over-shooting here, as elsewhere, 

 has been followed by^the usual result. 



