GEESE. 



123 



Range. — Pacific coast of North America, breeding chiefly ahout the shores 

 of Norton Sound and the lower Yukon ; south in winter to Californiu, and, 

 more rarely, to upper Mississippi Valley (Wisconsin, etc.) (Kidgw.). 



173< Branta bemicla (Linn.), Brant. .1'/.— Head, neck, throat, 

 and upper breast black ; sides of the neck speckled with white; back brown- 

 ish gray, margined with grayish brown ; longer and lateral upper tail-coverts 

 white; lower breast ashy gray fading to white on the lower belly; sides 

 darker. Im. — Similar, but with less white on the sides of the neck and 

 wing-coverts, and secondaries tipped with wliite. L., iJOOO; W., 13"-'0; Tnr., 

 2-20 ; B., 1-35. 



Range. — Northern parts of the northern hemisphere; breeds within the 

 Arctic Circle ; in America, migrates southward along the Atlantic coast, reach- 

 ing the Carolinas in winter; rare in the interior. 



Washington, rare W. V. Long Island, common T. V., Nov. 1 to May 15; 

 a few winter. Sing Sing, A. V. 



i\'««<, of grasses, moss, etc., lined with down, on the ground. Eggs., four, 

 smooth and creamy white in color, 2-70 x 1'80 (Saunders). 



" Its manner of flying is different from that of the Canada Goose — 

 moving in more compact bodies, iess rapidly, and without seeming to 

 have a chosen leader — that marked characteristic in the flight of the 

 latter. 



" While in our bays it appears inactive, seldom taking to wing un- 

 less disturbed by a passing boat or the near report of a gun. 



" The Brent rises slowly, and when on the wing moves sluggishly 

 for a short distance, and, if not attracted by a distant flock, frpcjuently 

 returns to the place it had left. Its food consists of a marine plant 

 {Zostera marina), conmionly called *eel gra.s.s.' At low water it is 

 seen industriously at work tearing up its favorite plant. After the 

 tide has risen to such a height as to compel it to reliiKpiish its voca- 

 tion, it is seen drifting with the current, feeding sumptuously on the 

 fruits of its labor" (Giraud). 



174. Branta n^ricana (Lawr.,. Black Bicant.— Bears a general 

 resemblance to the preceding species, but may be readily distinguished by its 

 much darker lower breast antl upper Ijciiy, which are nearly us dark as the 

 back, and by having white markings on tiie front as well as on tiic sides of 

 the neck. 



Range, — "Arctic and western North America; rare or casu.il on the At- 

 lantic const" (A. (). U.). " Breeds in abundance on the arctic coasst of Liver- 

 pool Bay" (Macfarlane). 



Long Island, A. V. 



^'est, of grasses, moss, etc., lined with down, on the groimd. f^ggs, five to 

 seven, dull ivory-white or grayish white, 2-85 x 1-82 ( B., B., and \{.). 



This is the western representative of the preceding species. It is 

 of casual occurrence on the Atlantic coast. 



