312 WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



The genus consists at present of about 6 species, all found in the 

 American continent, and most of them common to the coldest regions 

 of both hemispheres. They were formerly united with the Gulls, 

 of which they have the general port, and are equally related to the 

 Petrels and Albatross ; and in their habits bear some distant analogy 

 to the Eagles. 



SKUA GULL. 



(Lestris catarractes, Ti:3IM. Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 792. Bonap. Synops. 

 No. 304. Larus catarractes, Gmel. Lath. Ind. sp. 12. Skua 

 Gull, Lath. Syn. vi. p. 385. Penn. Brit. Zool. p. 140. t. L. 6. 

 Arct. Zool. No. 460. Catharacta Skua, Brunnich, No. 125.) 



Sp. Charact. — Bill short, very stout, much curved ; middle or long 

 tail feathers equally broad throughout; tarsus about 2^ inches 

 long, moderately rough with scales. — Mult dark brown, neck and 

 beneath greyish-rufous. Young wholly brownish, varied with 

 ferruginous tints. 



This daring Yager, or feathered pirate of the ocean 

 has spread its dominion to the extremes of both hemi- 

 spheres, dwelling chiefly on the hyperboreal or antarctic 

 seas. It is found in the Hebrides, Orkney, Shetland, and 

 Faroe Islands, as well as in Norway and Iceland. In Amer- 

 ica, it is found in the high northern regions ; then again in 

 many parts of the Pacific, at Port Egmont in the Falkland 

 Islands, (hence called Port Egmont Hens.) In the latter 

 end of December, their breeding season in that hemisphere, 

 at Christmas Sound in Terra del Fuego, they were found 

 in great plenty, making their nests in the dry grass. They 

 are also seen to the east of New Zealand. Such is the 

 extensive geographic range of this species, according to 

 Pennant and others, at the same time, we may fairly doubt 

 the identity of the northern and southern birds, since they 

 are but rarely seen on their passage any great distance 



