212 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



GENUS MEGALESTRIS BONAPARTE. 



Catharacta BBUNN. Orn. Bor. 1764,32. Type, C. sfcua BBUNN. (Nee Catarractes BBISS. 

 1760.) 



Megalestris BONAP. Cat. Parzudaki, 1856, 11. Type, Larus catarractes LINN. = Catha- 

 racta skua BBUNN. 



Buphagus "MoEHB." CouES. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1863, 124. Same type. 



GEN. CHAE. Size large (about equal to Larus argentatus); form robust and 

 powerful; depth of bill through the base equal to or exceeding half the length of the 

 mandible, measured along the side; tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw; tail short, 

 the middle pair of feathers scarcely projecting beyond the rest. General color nearly 

 uniform grayish brown or sooty, usually indistinctly streaked with light rusty, or cin- 

 namon, especially around neck and on back; quills whitish at base. 



Besides the northern M. skua, two other species, or sub spe- 

 cies, M. antarcticus (LESS.) and M. cfiilensis ( BONAP.) are known, 

 the geographical ranges, of which are indicated by their specific 

 names. 



Megalestris skua (Briinn.) 

 SKTJA. 



Popular synonyms. Skua Gull: Gull-chaser; Sea-hen. 



Catharacta skua BKUNN. Orn. Bor. 1764, 33. 



Buphagus skua COUES, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila. 1863, 125; B. N. W. 1874, 604. 



Stercorarius (Buphagus) skua COUES, Key, 1872, 309. 



Stercorarius skua CouES.Check List, 1873, No. 539;2d ed. 1882, No. 764. 



Megalestris skua BIDGW. Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. iii, 1880,208; Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 696; 

 Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 21, B. B. & E. Water B. N. Am. B. ii, 1884, 328. A. 0. U. 

 Check List, 1886, No. 35. 

 Larus catarractes LINN. S. N. ed. 12, i, 1766, 226. 



Lestris catarractes ILLIG. Prorlr. 1811. 272. NUTT. Man. ii, 1834, 312. 



Stercorarius catarractes BONAP. Consp. ii, 1856, 206. LAWE. in Baird's B. N. Am. 

 1858, 838. BAIED, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 652. ELLIOT, Iliust. B. Am. ii, 1869, pi. 56. 

 SAUNDEES. P. Z. S. 1876, 319. 

 Catarractes fusca LEACH. Syst. Cat. 1816, 40. 



HAB. Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, chiefly on the eastern side, where 

 south as far as Spain in winter. On the American side, south, in winter, to coast of 

 Massachusetts, Long Island, and even to North Carolina. Accidental in Illinois. Coast of 

 California.* 



SP. CHAE. Adult: Prevailing color dull brownish, the interscapulars, scapulars, 

 and wing-coverts marked with median streaks of pale cinnamon; feathers of head and 

 neck with similar but narrower streaks; lower parts mixed cinnamon and grayish 

 brown, nearly uniform on breast and belly, but forming indistinct stripes on sides and 

 flanks. Remiges, primary-coverts, and alute brownish dusky, the first white at the 

 base, this white concealed on secondaries, but showing as a distinct patch on the pri- 

 maries. Tail uniform dusky. Bill dusky; iris brown; legs and feet black. Young: Head, 

 neck, and lower parts plain grayish brown, the latter tinged with cinnamon; upper parts 

 dark grayish brown, palest on back and lesser wing-coverts, where indistinctly spotted 

 with rusty cinnamon. Bill and fjet brownish. Downy young: "Covered with soft, clos--, 

 uniform brownish or cinnamon-gray down; rather darker in color on the upper parls 

 than on the under surface of the body." (DBESSEE.) 



Length, about 22.00; extent, 54.00; wing, 15.75-16.15; lexposed culmen, about 2.05; depth 

 of bill at base, .80; tarsus, 2.40-2.70; middle toe, 2.15-2.45. 



* California examples may be the Pacific South- American M. chilensis. 



