WILD GEESE. 251 
Another handsome member of the Ansering is the em- 
peror, or painted goose (Philete canagica), which is 
mainly confined to the northwest coast of the Pacific 
Ocean, being most abundant in Alaska and the northern 
parts of British Columbia. The head, back of the neck, 
and tail of this species are white; the throat is black, 
speckled with white; the quills are black and white; the 
remainder of the body is bluish-gray, varied with pale 
lilac spots, and marked in parts with crescent-like spots 
of black. 
The blue goose, or bald-headed brant (A. cwrulescens), 
has an ashy-gray hue, varied with dark-brown; but the 
under parts, tail coverts, head, and the superior portion 
of the neck are white. This species is common in the 
Rocky Mountain region, but scarce east of it, so that it 
is a true denizen of the Far West. It associates freely 
with the snow goose and others, and accompanies them 
on their migrations. 
The brants are exceedingly numerous throughout 
nearly all parts of Canada and the United States, but 
they are most abundant in the region beyond the Missouri 
River. They can be readily distinguished from the pre- 
ceding genera by their black bills and legs, and black 
heads and necks, with white spaces. They are the most 
maritime members of the Anserine, and also the most 
exclusive, for they seldom associate with other wild fowl. 
They are,popularly supposed to live on fish, but this is 
evidently a fallacy, as their excrementary deposits prove 
that they subsist mainly on vegetable matter, though 
some of them may occasionally eat the sandworm. An- 
other proof that they are vegetarians is, they do not dive 
for their food, and that they are fond of frequenting 
brackish marshes where eel-grass and other aquatic veg- 
etation grows. The birds kept as decoys by wild-fowl- 
ers live on corn, drink fresh water, and manifest no de- 
sire for fish; so if we were to judge from this evidence, 
