86 



BUCKS, GEESE AND SWANS OF NORTH AMEHICA. 



BRANTA BERNICLA {Linn.). 

 Brant. 



liranta bernicla. 



Adult: Whole of the head, neck, aud upper 

 breast, black, except a patch on the sides of the 

 neck, which is white and black; back, grayish 

 brown ; longer tail coverts, white ; lower breast, 

 grayish, shading into white on the Ijelly. 



Length, 25; wing, 13; tarsus, 2.25; bill, 1.30. 



Ranges froni Arctic Circle, where it breeds, 

 southward in Eastern North America to Georgia, 

 and occasionally to Florida. During migrations 

 many are killed on the New England coast. 

 Boxes are placed in sand bars in the vicinity 

 of their feeding grounds ; as the tide rises, the 

 flocks gradually swim in nearer the bars and are 

 often attracted within shooting distance by the 

 decoys. 



The eggs are described as creamy white in 

 color, usually four in number. The nest is 

 composed of grass and moss. 



Brantii nigi'ican.s 



BRANTA NIGRICANS {Lawr.). 



Black Brant. 



Ad.idt : Differs from the common Brant in having the 

 front of the neck as well as the sides marked with 



white ; tlie breast and upper belly are darker. 



Length, 26; wiug, 13; bill, 1.30; tarsus, 2.30. 



HahUat : '• Arctic and Western North America, south in 

 winter to Lower California; casual in the Atlantic States." 

 (A. O. U.) 



The Black Brant is merely a straggler on the Atlantic coast.* 

 It is a western species and replaces the common Brant on the 

 west coast where it is abundant. Mr. MacFarlane found it 

 breeding near the Arctic Ocean. The ne.st is described as being 

 a mere depression in the ground, but usually lined with down ; 

 the eggs are from five to seven and dull white in color. 



* III tlio sjiring ol' l^^i I saw a liii-il ol' tliis t^pecics in thf. Jlewh which had been shot near Chatham, Mass. 

 (Auk, 1»84, p. %.) 



