440 ANAS BOSChAS. 



BERNTCLA BRENTA. 

 . Brant Goose. 



Bernicla brenta STEPII., Shaw's Zool. XII.; 1824, 46. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sr. CH. Form, robust. Size, not very large. COLOR. Adult. Body, grayish-ash, darkest on rump, becoming light- 

 er beneath, with the edges of the feathers slightly paler. Wings, brown. Head, neck, and body anterior to wings, pri- 

 maries, and tail, black. Streaks of white in crescent-shaped mark on neck, and under portions back of tibia, white. Iris, 

 brown, bill and feet, black. Young. Similar but paler. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known by the small size, dark colors, and crescent-shaped streakings on the neck. Distributed, in summer, 

 throughout the Arctic Regions; wintering from New Jersey to the Carol inas. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from North America. Length, 27' 10; stretch, 42-00; wing, 13'75; tail, 3'90; bill, 

 1'35; tarsus, SJ-30. Longest specimen, 30'50; greatest extent of wing,44'00; longest wing, 14'50; tail, 4"00; bill, T40; tarsus, 

 2-40. Shortest specimen, 2375; smallest extent of wing, 40'00; shortest wing, 13-00; tail, 3'75; bill, l"25; tarsus, 3'25. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed on the ground in marshy places, composed of sticks, weeds, etc. Eyys, six to ten in number, elliptical 

 in form, and dirty-white in color. Dimensions from I'84x2 75 to l'90x2 - 'JO. 



HABITS. . 



The Brant Geese, unlike the Canada, appear to prefer the coast to the interior when 

 migrating, insomuch so that they will seldom pass over any large tract of land, but will 

 follow the sinuosities of the shore, nearly always keeping over the water. These fine 

 birds are particular favorites with sportsmen, and many are shot from points of land which 

 make out into the sea, by building blinds, in which the sportsmen conceal themselves, while 

 the wary Brant are induced to alight near, by using decoys of the same species. Mr. W. 

 B. Dowse who has frequently shot over these decoys, informs nie that they become quite 

 tame and very intelligent, not only endeavoring to induce their wild brethren to alight near 

 them, but when a number are gathered about them, they will move to one side, in order 

 to give their master an opportunity to shoot the wild Brant. I never saw a Brant Goose 

 in Florida and think they seldom get as far south. In time of migration and in general 

 habits, these birds resemble the Canada Geese. 



GENUS IV. ANAS. THE FRESH WATER DUCKS. 



GEN. Cii. Bill, wide, flattened, not swollen nor very hiyh at base, nor expanded at tip. Leys, rather short. Marginal 

 indentations, nearly closed in adult. 



The trachea is without dilatation but the larynx, in the male, is provided with a bony frame-work and is much ex- 

 panded. Stomach, muscular. Sexes, not similar. There are two species within our limits. 



ANAS BOSCHAS. 



Mallard Duck. 

 Anas boschas LINN. Syst., Nat. I; 1760, 205. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. Cn. Form, robust. Size, large. Tipsof upper tail coverts, turned upward in males. COLOR. Adult male. Head, 

 and upper neck all around, deep iridescent green, glossed with violet. Beneath this color is a narrow ring of white, that 

 is followed by rich che-tnut-brown which extends backward, beneath, to upper breast, where it is somewhat paler. Low- 

 er hind neck, and back, reddish-brown, finely banded with whitish, but becoming rapidly darker on the posterior bat-k, 

 .luck on rump, until it ends in the velvety upper tail coverts which show greenish reflections. Scnpularies, red- 

 di<Ii-l'niwii, more or less finely banded with white, but becoming chestnut on the outer weljs which are banded with dark- 

 lirown. Tertinries. hoary, edged with whitish. Secondaries and primaries, brown, the former rather broadly tipped 

 with white. Speculum, dark-blue, with violet reflections, and surrounded by a band of black. Wing coverts, ivdui-h- 



