GEESE 



(17Sa) Branta bernicia glau= 

 cogastra 



{Brehm). (Gr., glaucous, belly). 



BRANT; BRENT. ^J^. — Plum- 

 age as shown. Notice that the black 

 extends in front on the body and 

 that a patch of white streaks is on 

 cither side of the neck below the 

 throat, thus readily distinguishing 

 it even from small Canada Geese. 

 L., 26.00; W., 13.20; B., 1.35. 



Range — Northern Hemisphere. 

 Breeds on Arctic islands. Winters 

 on the Atlantic coast from Mass. to 

 N. Car. 



(174) Branta nigricans 



[Lawr.) (Lat., blackish). 

 BLACK BRANT. Similar but 

 darker and with black extending over 

 much of the under parts. A Pacific 

 coast species, accidental in Mass., 

 K. Y. and N. J. 



landing place, upon sighting which, they glide down on 

 motionless wings and, if no danger is apparent, plump into 

 the water with a splash. Sometimes they fly silently, 

 with only an occasional honk from the leader, while at other 

 times they are very no^'sy, their honking being heard for 

 minutes before the flock appears in sight, and resembling 

 the baying of a pack of hounds. 



A few Canada Geese nest in northern United States, but 

 the bulk of them pass on to northern parts of Canada. 

 They build large, bulky nests of weeds, sticks, moss and 

 feathers, usually on the ground near or even surrounded by 

 water. The adult birds moult during July, when the young 

 are hatched, and are then flightless for several weeks. 

 They feed upon grasses, roots of water plants, grain, berries, 

 etc., eating early in the morning and again toward dusk. 



BRANT are still common along the Atlantic coast, al- 

 though not nearly as abundant as formerly, when rafts of 

 thousands of them would collect in bays to shelter them 



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