124 SWANS. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The BARNACLE GoosE (175. Branta leucopsis) is an Old-World species 
     
     which visits Greenland regularly in the fall, and is sometimes found on our 
     
     coasts. It differs from any of the preceding in having the forehead, sides of 
     
     the head, throat, and chin white, the lores being black. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Subfamz'ly Cygmnw. Swans. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Swans feed from the surface, either by “tipping” or by simply 
     
     immersing the long neck and head. Their food consists largely of 
     
     vegetable matter, but they eat also small mollusks. They migrate in 
     
     V-shaped flocks. When on the wing, and also when feeding, they utter 
     
     at times loud, trumpeting notes. When pursued they do not at once 
     
     take flight, but swim rapidly away, and in this manner easily distance 
     
    
   
   
    
     a strong rower. 
     
     KEY TO THE SPECIES. 
     
    
   
   
    
     A. With yellow on the lores ; distance from the eye to the nostril greater than 
     
     the distance from the nostril to the tip of the bill . 180. WHISTLING SWAN. 
     
     B. No yellow on the lorcs; distance from the eye to the nostril not greater 
     
     than from the nostril to the end of the bill . . . 181. TBUMPETER SWAN. 
     
    
   
   
    
     180. Olor columbianus (0rd). WHIs'rLiNG SWAN. Ad.——White; 
     
     bill and feet black; a small yellow spot on the lores. Im.———IIead and neck 
     
     brownish and rest of plumage more or less washed with grayish; bill and 
     
     feet light. L., 5500; W., 2200; Tan, 400. Eye to N., 2'40; N. to tip of 
     
     13., 2-25. 
     
    

    
     Range—North America; breeds on the shores of the Arctic Ocean, and 
     
     migrates south to the Gulf of Mexico; rare on the Atlantic coast north of 
     
     Chesapeake Bay. 
     
    

    
     Washington, rare W. V., Oct. Long Island, A. V. 
     
    

    
     Nest, of grasses, moss, etc., lined with down, on the ground near water. 
     
     Eggs, two to five, soiled whitish, 4-25 x 2'70._ 
     
    
   
   
    
     This is a rare bird on the Atlantic coast north of Virginia. “ When 
     
     feeding, or dressing their plumage, this Swan is usually very noisy, 
     
     and at night these clamor-s may be heard to the distance of several 
     
     miles. Their notes are varied, some resembling the lower ones made 
     
     by the common tin horn, others running through the various modula- 
     
     tions of the notes of the clarionet. These differences are presumed to 
     
     be dependent upon age " (B., B., and R.). 
     
    
   
   
    
     181. Olor buccinator (Rich). TRL‘MPETER SWAN. Ad.—White, 
     
     bill and feet black, no yellow on the lores. Im.—ilead and neck brownish, 
     
     rest of plumage more or less washed with grayish. L., 6500; W., 2300; Tan, 
     
     4'25; Eye to N., 2'70; N. to tip of B., 2'20. 
     
    

    
     Range.—“Chiefly the interior of North America, from the Gulf coast to 
     
     the fur countries, breeding from Iowa and Dakota northward; west to the 
     
     Pacific, but rare or casual on the Atlantic” (A. 0. U.). 
     
    

    
     Nest, of grasses and down, on the ground. Eggs, two to six, soiled whitish, 
     
     4‘40 x 2'80.