WHITE-BELLIED BKANT. 79 



Branta bernicla g-laucog-astra (Brehm). White-bellied Brant. 



Breeding range. — There is a lack of knowledge as to the dividing 

 line between this form and the black brant (B. nigricans). It is 

 known that the latter breeds on the Arctic coast of America east about 

 to longitude 125° (Franklin Bay), and that the species reaches its sum- 

 mer home by migration from the west and southwest, and not from 

 the south by way of the Mackenzie Valley. It is known that the 

 eastern brant occurs in migration on Melville Peninsula and passes 

 along the east coast of Boothia Peninsula, longitude 92°. There 

 seems to be no record of brant on the Arctic coast of the mainland 

 between Franklin Bay and Boothia Peninsula — nearly a thousand 

 miles — and yet brant of some form are common on all the islands that 

 lie between these two longitudes north of 74° latitude. It is prac- 

 tically certain that the brant swarming in Wellington Channel, directly 

 north of Boothia Peninsula, are the eastern form. Brant were seen on 

 September 7, 1850, at the south end of Banks Land, and as they were 

 then in full tide of fall migration they were undoubtedly on their way 

 to the Arctic coast of the mainland and belonged to the western form. 

 A year later, August 19, 1851, "vast numbers" were seen in the 

 northwestern part of the same island as they were gathering for their 

 migration. These also, then, were probably the western form, and 

 they bred commonly along the northern shore of this island. Melville 

 Island is only 50 miles from Banks Land, and hence it is probable that 

 the "brent geese" taken by Parry on this latter island were the black 

 brant. The dates of migration are of no help in settling this question. 

 Brant arrived on Melville Island June 6, 1820, before. June 9, 1853, 

 and were seen on the north coast of Banks Land soon after June 1, 

 1852, or at about the same date they arrived in 1882-3, at Point Bar- 

 row, considerably farther south. They were noted in the vicinity of 

 Wellington- Channel, about latitude 75°, June 3, 1851, June 2, 1853, 

 and about June 9, 1854. Almost directly south the first were not 

 noted. on Boothia Peninsula, latitude 70°, until June 12, 1830; June 

 20, 1831; and June 8, 1859; and still farther south on Melville Pen- 

 insula not until June 14, 1822, and June 14, 1823. While on the 

 west coast of Greenland, at latitude 72°, the first were seen May 29, 

 1850, and at the extreme northern limit of the range, above latitude 

 82°, near the northwestern part of Greenland, they arrived June 9, 

 1876; June 3, 1882; June 5, 1883. 



The eastern brant breeds on the west coast of Greenland from 

 Frederikshaab, latitude 62°, northward probably as far as land extends, 

 certainly as far north as the north shore of Grinnell Land, latitude 82° 

 33'. It probably breeds also on the islands north of latitude 74° and 

 west to Wellington Channel. Breeding records south of this district 

 4510— No. 26—06 6 



