190 GAME BIRDS, WILD-FOWL AND SHORE BIRDS. 



down the Pacific coast. On this line of flight each of these 

 species when so concentrated will always appear very numer- 

 ous until they approach extinction, and particularly so when 

 they are driven away from all but a comparatively few feed- 

 ing grounds. If, during the recent scarcity of the Ruffed 

 Grouse, all the Grouse of the species in North America had 

 been collected and concentrated off Monomoy, the natives 

 there would have been convinced that Grouse had increased 

 rather than diminished in numbers. There are practically no 

 Brant in North America during the migrations except on these 

 two coasts. A few stragglers are met with rarely on ponds 

 near the sea-shore, but Brant are rare always except on salt 

 water. The so-called Brant seen in the middle west are other 

 species of Geese. After the flight of Brant passes Nova Scotia 

 on the southward journey, they rarely fly over any extent of 

 land, but keep off the coast, avoiding even the points as much 

 as possible. 



While formerly tame and unsuspicious, this bird has 

 learned wisdom by experience, and by keeping off shore and 

 avoiding the vicinity of mankind it succeeds in holding its 

 own much better than most edible water-fowl. It seeks 

 isolated and extensive flats where the eelgrass grows, and 

 where, although the water is shallow enough to enable it to 

 feed by thrusting its head to the bottom and pulling up the 

 roots of this plant, it can still flnd sufficient food at a long 

 distance from the dangers of the shore. Floating batteries 

 and decoys are still used in some States for its destruction, 

 and in the south it is hunted by jack light at night, although 

 this method is illegal in most States. 



The Brant has one weakness — its fondness for sand. 

 Large quantities of sand seem to be absolutely necessary for 

 the proper digestion of its food, and the gunners assert that 

 before attempting a long migratory flight the Brant alights 

 on beach or bar and " takes in ballast " for the trip. This is 

 the gunner's opportunity, and a sunken box on a sand bar or 

 point, surrounded with decoys, is the favorite shooting stand 

 for Brant in Massachusetts. Hapgood gives a record of forty- 

 four birds killed from one of these boxes at one shot, and states 



