90 BIRDS OF NORTH CAROLINA 



"In Pamlico Sound the long extended lines of submerged sand-bars and mud- 

 flats, with their abundant supplies of eel-grass, make an ideal winter resort for the 

 Brant. They arrive from the North usually early in November, but the exact date 

 depends much upon weather conditions. In flight they usually go in compact flocks 

 without any apparent leader. They move slowly and often appear loath to leave 

 a favorite feeding ground, even returning to it many times after being disturbed. 



FIG. 58. BRANT. 



"As the flesh is much esteemed for food, large numbers are annually killed and 

 shipped to northern markets. In North Carolina it is customary to hunt them with 

 the aid of wooden decoys. Twenty-five or thirty Brant decoys, together with per- 

 haps a hundred others painted to represent Redheads, Canvasbacks, and Black- 

 heads are anchored near a blind or floating battery in shoal water, often two or 

 three miles from land. Here the hunter, well concealed, awaits the game which, 

 lured from a distance by the flock of bobbing decoys, draws near to join their sup- 

 posed friends. The birds fly slowly and often flit entirely around the battery before 

 heading up to windward preparatory to alighting. While in this position, with the 

 breast presented, feet lowered, and wings expanded, the Brant presents a mark 

 which even the amateur sportsman cannot easily miss. If about to pass unnoticed, 

 the gunner may frequently attract them by raising and lowering his foot or slowly 

 lifting his cap aloft. I have seen them attempt to pitch among decoys after the 

 attendant's boat had approached and two or three men were wading about gather- 

 ing them in. 



"On clear winter days, as one sails along the reefs in the region about Ocracoke 

 or Hatteras, flocks of Brant, disturbed from their feeding areas, arise in almost 

 constant succession for miles, their numbers running far into the tens of thousands. 

 When heavy winds arise these large rafts are broken up, and later when the birds 



