BEANT, OR BRENT. 817 



DESCRIPTION. 



"The Brant generally weighs about four pounds avoirdupois, 

 and measures two feet in length, and three feet six inches in 

 extent ; the bill is about an inch and a half long, and black ; 

 the nostril large, placed nearly in its middle ; head, neck, and 

 breast black, the neck marked with a spot of white about two 

 inches below the eye ; belly pale ash, edged with white ; from 

 the thighs backwards, ,white ; back and wing coverts dusky 

 brownish black, the plumage lightest at the tips; rump and 

 middle of the tail coverts black; the rest of the tail coverts 

 pure white, reaching nearly to the tip of the tail, the whole of 

 which is black, but usually concealed by the white coverts ; 

 primaries and secondaries deep black; legs also black; irides 

 dark hazel. 



"The only material difference observable between the plum- 

 age of the male and female is, that in the latter the white spot 

 on the neck is less, and more mottled with dusky. In young 

 Birds it is sometimes wanting, or occurs on the front, cheeks, 

 and chin ; and sometimes the upper part of the neck only is 

 black ; but in full-plumaged Birds, of both sexes, the markings 

 are very much alike." 



