468 



LAMKLMRO.STRAL S\VI^[MT':IlS — ANSEKES. 



riimi). IJrcast, iiIhIdiui'ii, sidi's, iiiiil Hanks imicli like the iipjicr piirtu, Iml tlic li},'lil tijps ti> thu 

 I'l'iithcrs wliiti'i', l)i()ailt'r, ami iiiinc cunsiiiciioiis ; anal if,i;i(in and cii.-isiini ininiaculatu siiow-wliiti'. 

 Wini,', 12.30 inches; ciilincn, 1.20; tarsus, 2.0;") ; niidilli' lov, 1.70. Viiinni (Nd. 1278(i, Wasliinj^- 

 ton, 1). ('., DfccndHT, |s:iS; ('. |)ui;.\i,i;iu : Similar to tlic adult, lint tlif wini^'-covrrts and scc- 

 onilarii's biuadly tiiipi'd with iiuic while, lurniinj,' very eiins|)icuous liai's. Jiowur [laits jialer and 

 luorc unili>i'ni ; white on middle of the neek iviIucimI to small s]ieiks. 



Two adult siieeiniens rnmi Eufdiie ditier t'luni aiiv in a seiies nC lour American skins (adults), 

 in lai^;er size and slightly iialer lolors ; the dill'erences are so slij;ht, howevei, tliat they jiroltaMy 

 would not jirove constant, if more examides were compared. Indeeil, a thiid KurojK'an s]iecinieii, 

 labelled (i)y Sfiii.i'TlUt) " holier Nonleii,'' is nearly as dark eviaywheiv as II. iiiiiilfiui.t, and would 

 i)e instantly lel'erred to that specie-. wer<' it not for the white neck-patches, which are exactly 

 as in tyjiical /jnu<rt — that is, widely separated in I'ront, as well as behind. It maybe a hybrid 

 between the two. 



Tlip ("omiuon Brant (Joosc lias an almost cosnioiiolitaii distfilmtioii. Fn the suniiucr 

 it retires to very liiK'i nortlu'rii latitiides to hrccd, and in the aiitiiinn and winter 

 w'iiinlcrs over large portions of both tlic Old and tlie New World. It is i'oiind in all 

 the high Aretic regions of Asia and Knro|ic, and in North America cast of tlic Kocky 

 Mountains. In the wi'stcrn jiortions of America, it is replaced hy />. in'r/ririnis, a 

 clos(dy allied form. It is almost unknown in tlic interior. A single cxaiii[dc taken 

 on Lake Aliidiigan, near IJaciiie. hy Dr. Hoy. is the only exception, so far as 1 know. 



llcarnc was convinced tluit lliis hird must breed in the remote north, as it std- 

 doiii appeared at C'hnrehill Jvivcr until September. Its route in tlit^ spring was 

 unknown, nor did any of the Ifudson's IJay Indians know of its breeding-place. ]t 

 always came from the north in its visits to Chiindiill ixiver. Hew near the margin of 

 the coast, and was never seen in the interior. Its ilcsli, although delicate to the eye, 

 was not much esteemed as food. In some years birds of this species jiassed the 

 month of Ohurcliill JJiver in incredible numbers. In their movements south they 

 nsiially availed themselves of a strong northerly or northwesterly wind ; and this 

 made their flight so swift, that once, when .Mr. Ilcarne. killed four or five at a single 

 shot, they all lell from twenty to fifty yards beyond the place where they were hit. 

 When in largo flocks they arc known to tly, in the manner of the Snow Goose, in the 

 form of a wedge, and to maki' a great noise. Their flight is irregular, sometimes 

 being forty or fifty yards above the water, and yet, an inst;int later, they may In^ seen 

 skimming close to its surface, then again they will rise to a considerable height; so 

 that by some they are said to "fly iii festoons.*' 



Acconling to Jiiehardson, this s|)ecies breeds on the shores and among the islands 

 of the Arctic Sea. and kcejis near the sea-coast in its migrations. It is rarely, if (>ver, 

 seen in the interior. As no mention is made among the records of the Smithsonian 

 Institution of this (Joosc being known to breed on the coast of the Arctic Sea, 

 Richardson may have been mistaken in this siii>]iosition. He mentions its feeding 

 on moUnsea, tlu^ f7ri( /(irfiim, and other nuirine ]ilaiits — idiicfly njion the latter, 

 from which its flesh acquires a strong flavor. It is said to leave its breed ing-cpiarters 

 in September. 



Dr. Vessels inclndes this species among the birds procnred on the "]*olaris" Ex- 

 l)editioii (" Hnlletin de la Societc de (}(''Ographie.'' ISlareh, 187/)) ; and .Mr. Feilden 

 (" Ibis," October, JS77) also includes it among the birds procured in the Jbitish Arc- 

 tic l']x))edition of 1870-1876. and sujiidies the following interesting note : ''During 

 the first week of .Fiiiie, jiartics of these birds arrived in the vicinity (d' oiir winter- 

 qnarters (lat. 82" 27' >«'.): for some days they continued flying nj) and (h)wn the 

 coast-line, evidently looking out for places bare of snow to feed on. They were very 



