BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 51 



Branta bernicla (LiNN.). 



Brant. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Bill rather small and short Bill and legs black ; iris brown. Head, neck, body 

 in front of wings, primaries and tail black ; a small white patch on each side of neck 

 streaked with black ; few white feathers on chin and about lower eyelids ; back 

 brownish-gray, lower parts quite similar but lighter ; rump darker than upper part 

 of back ; feathers about tail mostly white. Length about 23 inches ; extent about 46 

 inches. 



Habitat. Northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere ; in North America chiefly 

 on the Atlantic coast ; rare in the interior, or away from salt water. 



The Brant, or Brant Goose, as this species is usually called by sports- 

 men, is found in Pennsylvania only as a very rare and irregular visitor, 

 about our large rivers. In January, 1890, 1 purchased one of these birds 

 from a gunner who had shot it on the Susquehanna river near Harris- 

 burg, Pa. Mr. D. Frank Keller of Reading, Pa., has a specimen which 

 was captured in Berks county ; and Dr. G. A. Scroggs, of Beaver, Pa., 

 informs me Brant geese are occasionally found on the Ohio river, in 

 Beaver county. The Brant feeds almost exclusively on a vegetable diet. 



SUBFAMILY CYGNIN^. SWANS. 



GENUS OLOR WAGLER. 

 Olor columbianus (ORD.). 



Whistling Swan. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Neck longer than body. Length about 4 feet ; extent about 7 feet ; bill has 

 yellowish spot in front of eye, rest of bill, also legs and feet black ; eyes brown. 

 Plumage of adult is pure white, with the head, neck and belly in some individuals 

 tinged with rusty. The young are said to be a light lead color, with head and neck 

 tinged with yellowish- brown ; and the color of legs, bill and feet is described as 

 being much paler. 



Habitat. Whole of North America, breeding far north. 



Spring and fall migrant, also occasional winter visitant. This species 

 is more frequently seen on Lake Erie and about our principal rivers 

 than elsewhere, though it occurs generally throughout the state. The 

 following interesting account * of an unusual flight of these swans, is 

 from the pen of my friend, Mr. Geo. B. Sennett, of Erie city, Pa.: 



" An unusual flight of swans occurred in northwestern Pennsylvania 

 on the 22d of last March (1879). Crawford, Mercer, Venango and 

 Warren counties being the places where they were seen. On the day 

 mentioned, as well as the previous day and night, a severe storm pre- 

 vailed, the rain and snow freezing as they fell. The swans, on their 

 migration north, were caught in the storm, and becoming overweighted 



* Bulletin Nutt. Club. Vol. V. pp. 125, 126. 



