BERNICLA BRENTA.

Brent Goose.

Anas bernicla, Linn. Faun. Suec., p. 40.
Anser bernicla, Ill. Prod. Syst. Mamm. et Av., p. 277.
torquatus, Frisch, Vog. Deutschl., tom. i. p. 156.
brenta, Leach, Syst. Cat. of Indig. Mamm. and Birds in Brit. Mus., p. 37.
Bernicla torquata, Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 363.
melanopsis, Macgill. Man. of Nat. Hist., Orn., vol. i. p. 151.
—_— brenta, Steph. Cont. of Shaw’s Gen. Zool., vol. xi. p. 46.

 

 

 

To see this species in a state of nature, the ornithologist must go down, during November and the
three following months, to the embouchure of the Thames, visit the inland waters of Southampton, the
low salt marshes of the coasts of Sussex, Suffolk, and Norfolk, or any locality of a similar character
in other parts of England, in Scotland, and in Ireland. Companies of forty, fifty, or sixty individuals
will there attract his attention as they wing their way from one part of the flat shallow estuary to
another; or be may have an opportunity of seeing flights of hundreds or, speaking within bounds, of
thousands; yet the London excursionist to Herne Bay, Margate, or Ramsgate will never see one, for
the simple reason that, at the period of the year when those places are resorted to, the bird is far
away, performing the duties of incubation in countries so distant that, with few exceptions, the hardiest
of our mariners and the most enthusiastic of egg-collectors have failed to reach its breeding-home—
along distance within the Arctic circle being, doubtless, the principal cradle of this common winter-
bird with us. In the eastern parts of America it is aS numerous in winter as in our islands, and
equally scarce at other times, but, according to Dr. Baird, of Washington, has not yet been found
on the Pacific side of that continent.

During the summer months, the Brent Goose is to be met with at the Faroe Islands, and in
Iceland, where, according to Faber, it arrives about the middle of April, but seems to be rare, as
it is only met with occasionally here and there throughout the island. Dr. Richardson states that it
breeds in numbers on the coasts and islands of Hudson’s Bay and the Arctic Sea, but is rarely seen
in the interior. Captain James C. Ross says that it did not remain near Felix Harbour, Boothia, to
breed, but went still farther north, and that it is to be met with in summer in the highest northern
latitudes that have been visited. It was found breeding on Parry’s Islands, in lat. 74 75°. In Parry’s
Expedition, on the 16th of June, a nest with two eggs was brought on board from Ross Islet,
lat. 80° 48’ N., perhaps the most northern land ever visited by man. It was at the same time seen
in large flocks about Walden and Little Table Islands. Mr. Newton informs us that it is numerous all
round Spitsbergen, except perhaps on the east side, and that “Dr. Malmgren found it breeding on
the Dépot Holm and also on the shores of the mainland, in Treurenberg Bay; Messrs. Evans and
Sturge found it breeding on the South-Cape Islands; and one of our party killed a young bird,
hardly able to fly, on Round Island.” That the bird is confined to the northern regions there can
be no doubt; and it would seem that the Mediterranean is the limit of its occurrence in a southern
direction, since Loche states that it only occasionally appears in Algeria.

Let us return to own islands. ‘‘ Upon the Northumbrian coast,” says Mr. Selby, ‘a very large number
of these birds annually resort to the extensive muddy and sandy flats that lie betweeen the mainland and
Holy Island, and which are covered by every flow of the tide. In this locality, tolerable-sized flocks
usually make their appearance in the early part of October, which are increased by the repeated arrival
of others till the beginning of November, at which time the equatorial movement of the species in this
latitude seems to be completed. This part of the coast appears to have been a favourite resort of these
birds from time immemorial, where they have always received the name of Ware Geese, given to them,
without doubt, in consequence of their food consisting entirely of marine vegetables. This J have
frequently verified by dissection, finding the gizzard filled with the leaves and stems of a species of
grass that grows abundantly in the shallow pools left by the tide, and with the remains of the fronds
of the different alge, particularly of one, which seems to be the Laver (Ulva latissima). ‘These were
mixed with a considerable quantity of sharp sand, but without any portion of animal or shelly matter,
although Wilson states they feed occasionally upon small univalve and bivalve mollusea. In this haunt
they remain until the end of February, when they migrate in successive flocks as the individuals
happen to be influenced by the season; and before April the whole have disappeared. When they
depart, the flock about to migrate rises high into the air by an extensive spiral course, and then moves