DUCKS AND GEESE 85 



Pacific coast; the southern hniit of its nesting range seems 

 to be about the latitude of the mouth of the River Yukon. 

 Dr. William H. Dall has said that in the spring it comes 

 in immense flocks to the sea coast of Alaska, and he found 

 the crop of one of these birds to be full of small crustaceans, 

 though, as a rule, it partakes only of a vegetable diet, feed- 

 ing chiefly upon eel-grass. 



During the time of low tide the brant feeds constantly, 

 tearing up the plants by the roots from the muddy flats. 

 Unhke the sea ducks, it does not dive for its food, and it is 

 said that it will never dive except when wounded. It passes 

 the night hours floating on deep water in the open sea. It 

 is a noisy bird, and quarrelsome with its kind. Being of a 

 very inquisitive nature, it is easily attracted to decoys. It 

 is, therefore, one of the easiest marks for the hunter; and 

 consequently there are an exceedingly large number of these 

 toothsome geese shot each j'car for the markets. 



Its note is " hoarse and honking," and when a flock gab- 

 bles in company, as they often do when feeding, the sound 

 cannot be described better than to call it a perfect din. 



It is said that the nest of the black brant is usually situ- 

 ated in a depression in the ground and consists of grasses 

 and moss, lined with down. 



Both the black brant and its eastern relative (Branta 

 bernicla) are sometimes called "barnacle geese." This 

 name is said to have had its origin in a fable which narrates 

 that they were developed out of barnacles attached to wood 

 in the sea. Dr. Coues says that the name brant means 

 burnt, and it was given to these birds because of their dark 

 color, Avhich suggests charring. 



