﻿2 
  34 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  neck; 
  upper 
  and 
  under 
  tail 
  coverts 
  and 
  lower 
  belly 
  

   white 
  ; 
  bill 
  and 
  feet 
  black 
  ; 
  iris 
  brown. 
  

  

  Length 
  23-25 
  inches; 
  extent 
  48-52; 
  wing 
  12. 
  5-13. 
  5; 
  tail 
  4.5; 
  bill 
  1.3- 
  

   1.35; 
  tarsus 
  2.2-2.3; 
  weight 
  4 
  pounds. 
  

  

  Distinguishing 
  marks. 
  The 
  Brant 
  differs 
  from 
  the 
  Canada 
  goose 
  in 
  

   having 
  a 
  black 
  breast 
  and 
  lacking 
  the 
  white 
  patch 
  across 
  the 
  throat 
  and 
  

   the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  head, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  Black 
  brant 
  in 
  its 
  whiter 
  belly, 
  w^hich 
  

   gives 
  way 
  abruptly 
  to 
  the 
  black 
  of 
  the 
  breast. 
  

  

  Distribution 
  and 
  migration. 
  On 
  Long 
  Island 
  waters 
  the 
  Brant 
  is 
  a 
  

   common 
  migrant, 
  aniving 
  from 
  the 
  south 
  between 
  the 
  15th 
  of 
  February 
  

   and 
  the 
  15th 
  of 
  March 
  and 
  remaining 
  until 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  May, 
  a 
  few 
  being 
  

   found 
  until 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  that 
  month. 
  In 
  faU 
  it 
  usually 
  makes 
  its 
  appearance 
  

   from 
  the 
  loth 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  October, 
  a 
  few 
  sometimes 
  being 
  seen 
  as 
  early 
  

   as 
  the 
  8th 
  of 
  September. 
  The 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  pass 
  southward 
  between 
  the 
  

   I 
  St 
  and 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  December, 
  but 
  a 
  few 
  remain 
  aU 
  winter. 
  The 
  summer 
  

   home 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  coast 
  of 
  Greenland 
  north 
  of 
  latitude 
  

   62 
  degrees, 
  and 
  the 
  islands 
  of 
  the 
  Arctic 
  ocean 
  north 
  of 
  latitude 
  74 
  degrees 
  

   probably 
  as 
  far 
  westward 
  as 
  Wellington 
  channel 
  and 
  probably 
  as 
  far 
  north- 
  

   ward 
  as 
  land 
  extends. 
  Its 
  line 
  of 
  migration 
  is 
  almost 
  entirely 
  along 
  the 
  

   coast, 
  few 
  specimens 
  being 
  recorded 
  from 
  the 
  interior. 
  Its 
  principal 
  winter 
  

   range 
  is 
  from 
  New 
  Jersey 
  to 
  Florida. 
  

  

  Two 
  specimens 
  from 
  Cayuga 
  lake, 
  November 
  26, 
  1878, 
  and 
  December 
  

   1877, 
  are 
  reported 
  in 
  the 
  Auburn 
  List; 
  one 
  from 
  Buffalo 
  by 
  Bergtold; 
  one 
  

   from 
  Irondequoit 
  bay 
  by 
  J. 
  H. 
  Fleming 
  of 
  Toronto; 
  from 
  Troy 
  by 
  F. 
  S. 
  

   Webster 
  ; 
  from 
  Homer 
  by 
  Haight 
  Brothers 
  ; 
  and 
  from 
  Seneca 
  river 
  by 
  Fos- 
  

   ter 
  Parker. 
  

  

  Branta 
  nigricans 
  (Lawrence) 
  

   Black 
  Brant 
  

  

  Plate 
  22 
  

  

  Anser 
  nigricans 
  Lawrence. 
  Ann. 
  Lye. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1814. 
  4:171 
  

  

  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  174 
  

  

  nigricans, 
  Lat., 
  blackish 
  

  

  Description. 
  Similar 
  to 
  the 
  common, 
  or 
  Light-bellied 
  brant, 
  but 
  

   darker 
  on 
  the 
  upper 
  parts, 
  and 
  the 
  black 
  of 
  the 
  neck 
  and 
  forebreast 
  extend- 
  

  

  