BRANTA CANADENSIS HUTCHINSII Sw. & RICH.

65. Hutchin's Goose. (172a)

Tail, of sixteen feathers; colors, exactly as in the Canada Goose but size less. Length, about 30 inches; wing, 15-17; tail, 5-6; bill, 1§-1.

HAB.-North America. Breeds in the Arctic regions, south in winter to

Mexico.

Nest, usually a depression in the sandy beach, lined with leaves, grass, feathers and down. In the Anderson River region, the eggs of this species have been taken from the deserted nests of crows and hawks.

Eggs, white, four to six, laid in June or July.

This is apparently a small race of the preceding, from which it differs slightly in plumage, and it has been raised to the rank of a separate subspecies, in which position it is as easily considered as in any other. Small geese are occasionally seen in company with the last groups of the others which pass in spring, but they are fewer in number and are less frequently obtained.

I once saw a fine pair of these birds in the hands of a local taxidermist, with whom they had been left to be "stuffed," and with such vigor was the operation performed, that when finished it was a hard matter for anyone to tell to which species the birds originally belonged.

The differences between Hutchin's and the Canada Goose seem to be constant, and most writers are satisfied to treat them as now placed.

Mr. E. W. Nelson, who was familiar with the appearance of this species as it occurred at St. Michael's and the mouth of the Yukon, says regarding it in the "Birds of Alaska": "From my observations I should decide the centre of abundance of this species to be along the lower Yukon and thence south to the Kuskoquim."

"The main difference between this form and canadensis is the smaller size of the former. In hutchinsii, the black of the head and neck tends to assume a glossier black, and the dark color very commonly encroaches upon the white cheek patches, frequently separating them by a broad black throat-band. The main distinction, however, besides the smaller size, is in the much lighter color of the lower surface. The white abdominal area extends forward and almost encloses the thigh in some cases, and almost invariably there is no definite line of demarcation between the white and brown areas. In addition, the grayish-brown of the breast is very light, and the

BRANT-WHISTLING SWAN.

101

encroachment of the white upon its posterior border gives a mottled gray and white surface."

I have given the above details in full, so that anyone meeting the species may be able to identify it.

BRANTA BERNICLA (LINN.).

66. Brant. (173)

Bill, feet and claws, black; head, neck all round and a little of the forepart of the body, glossy black; on each side of the neck a small patch of white streaks, also some touches of white on the eyelids and chin; breast, ashy-gray, beginning abruptly from the black, fading on the belly and crissum into white; tail feathers, wing quills and primary coverts, blackish, the inner quills whitish toward the base. Length, 24 inches; tail, 4-5.

HAB.-Northern portions of northern hemisphere, partial to salt water, rare in the interior. Breeds only within the Arctic circle.

Nest, a hollow on a sandy beach, lined with feathers and down.

Eggs, four to six, grayish or dirty white.

This is another casual visitor to the waters of Ontario, where it is less frequently seen than any other of the geese.

It is by no means
In Mr. Saunders'

a scarce species, but seems partial to the sea coast. 'List of Birds of Western Ontario," it is mentioned as a rather rare migrant. I have only seen it once, flying past out of range.

The Brant is of almost cosmopolitan distribution, being found on the sea coast of Europe and eastern North America, breeding only within the Arctic circle. It is said to breed in immense numbers in

Spitzbergen and on the islands along the coast. On the rocky shores of Greenland, where it also breeds, the nests are often placed on the ledges of the rocks.

SUBFAMILY CYGNINÆ. SWANS.

GENUS OLOR WAGLER.

OLOR COLUMBIANUS (ORD.).

67. Whistling Swan. (180)

Pure white; head often stained with rusty; bill, black, usually with small yellow spot; iris, dark brown; feet, black. Length, 44 feet; wing, 21-22 inches. HAB. The whole of North America, breeding far north.

Nest, in a tussock of grass near the water, often surrounded by it so closely that the bird while sitting on the eggs has her feet submerged.

Eggs, two to five, white, often stained with brown.

These beautiful birds, never at any point abundant, are seldom seen in Ontario, because they breed in the far north, and generally make their migratory journey along the sea coast, east or west, where they spend the winter.

In the interior they are sometimes seen singly or in pairs at the shooting stations, where rifle bullets and buck shot at once come into demand.

I once saw four, in full adult plumage, come up Lake Ontario on a stormy afternoon toward the end of March. They alighted for a short time on the open water near the canal, but had a wild, restless look, evidently feeling themselves off their route, and they soon wheeled around and went off east again.

On another occasion a family of four visited Hamilton Bay in the fall. They were not allowed to remain long undisturbed, and one young bird was so disabled by a pellet of shot in the wing, that it was prevented from leaving with the others. It could still take care of itself, however, and remained till the bay was frozen over, when it walked ashore, and was captured in an exhausted condition by one of the fishermen.

Writing from Dunnville, in August, 1893, Dr. Macallum says: "On the 24th of April last, a fine young female Whistling Swan was shot here, which had been frequenting the river for about six weeks. One or more of this species visit us every spring."

During such visits they sometimes get bewildered by fog, and so fall into the hands of the enemy.

Dr. Bell tells us: "This species breeds near Churchill, and on the islands toward the eastern side of Hudson's Bay. Their skins constitute an article of trade, but only a small number of them are collected annually."

For further particulars of their habits we turn again to Mr. Nelson, who is one of the few who have been privileged to see the birds in their northern home.

He says: "The last of June or first of July the young are hatched, and soon after the parents lead them to the vicinity of some large lake or stream, and there the old birds moult their quill feathers, and are unable to fly. They are pursued by the natives at this season, and many are speared from canoes and kyaks. Although unable to fly, it is no easy task, single-handed, to capture them alive. young men among the Eskimo consider it a remarkable exhibition of fleetness and endurance for one of their number to capture a bird by running it down.

The

TRUMPETER SWAN.

103 "About twenty miles from St. Michael's, toward the Yukon mouth, is a small, shallow lake, about one-fourth of a mile in diameter, which is grown up with 'horse-tails' (Equisitum). This lakelet forms a general rendezvous for all the swans of that vicinity during the summer and fall. During the breeding season they gather there to feed, and the males make it their home. In autumn, as the old birds regain their wing feathers and the young are able to fly, all congregate here, so that I have rarely passed this place without seeing from one hundred to five hundred swans gathered in this small area.

"I have frequently sat and listened with the keenest pleasure to the organ-like swell and fall in their notes, as they were wafted on in rich, full harmony, then sank to a faint murmur, not unlike that of running water. A series of low hillocks afforded a cover by which the lake could be approached, and it was a majestic sight to lie there on a mossy knoll, and gaze on the unsuspecting groups of these graceful birds as they swam back and forth, within rifle shot, not suspecting our presence. Their snowy bodies and beautiful forms, as I last saw them in that far away spot, will linger long in my mind as one of the most unique and interesting sights of my experience in the north. The report of a rifle is sufficient to change the scene into wild confusion. A chorus of confused cries and the heavy beating of hundreds of mighty wings is heard. A cloud of white rises, breaks into numerous fragments, and the birds scatter over the wide flats on every side."

"Toward the end of September these birds begin to gather into flocks, preparatory to migrating, and from the last of this month to the 6th or 8th of October all leave for the south, the exact date varying with the season."

OLOR BUCCINATOR (RICH.).

68. Trumpeter Swan. (181)

Adult:--Plumage, entirely white; younger, the head and neck washed with a rusty brown; still younger, gray or ashy; bill and feet, black. Length, 4-5 feet; tail (normally), of twenty-four feathers; no yellow spots on bill, which is rather longer than the head, the nostrils fairly in its basal half.

HAB.-Chiefly the interior of North America, from the Gulf coast to the fur countries, breeding from Iowa and Dakota northward, west to the Pacific coast, but rare or casual on the Atlantic.

Nest, on dry, high ground, near the beach, a mixture of grass, down and feathers.

Eggs, two to five, dull white, stained with brown, shell rough.

Swans are seen nearly every spring and fall at one or other of the shooting stations in western Ontario, but the points of specific distinction are so inconspicuous that unless the birds are secured, it is difficult to tell to which species they belong. Dr. Garnier reports having taken one at Mitchell's Bay. There was one in the collection sent from Toronto to Paris in 1867, and I have seen two which were killed at Long Point, in Lake Erie.

The highway of this species from north to south is evidently by the Mississippi Valley, where it is quite common during the period of migration, those we see here being merely stragglers off the route.

The history of this swan is not so well known as that of the other. Nelson mentions one specimen with its eggs having been secured at Fort Yukon, which renders it an Alaskan species, though there is no further evidence of its presence in the territory. The lack of observations may be owing to the fact that the interior of Alaska remains almost unexplored, so far as its summer birds are concerned. Hearne speaks of both species breeding on the islands in the lakes to the north-west of Hudson's Bay, and Sir John Richardson gives the Trumpeter a breeding range of from 61° north to well within the Arctic circle.

Plumage, rich dark chestnut, changing to glossy dark green, with purplish reflections on the head, wings and elsewhere; bill, dark. Young: Similar, much duller, or grayish brown, especially on the head and neck, which are white streaked. Claws, slender, nearly straight; head, bare only about the eyes and between the forks of the jaw. Length, about 2 feet; wing, 10-11; tail, 4; bill, 4; tarsus, 34; middle toe and claw, 3.

HAB.-Northern Old World, West Indies, and eastern United States. Only locally abundant, and of irregular distribution in America.