318 WEB-FOOTED BIRDS. 



BROAD-BILLED JAGER. 



(Lestris ccpphus. Nobis. Stercorarius ceppJms, Leach. Cat. Museum. 

 Richard. North. Zool. ii. p. 432. [in note.] Lestris parasitica? 

 BoNAP. Synops. No. 307. Arctic Gull, Lath. Die Pohnowe, 

 Lepech. Reise, Th. 3. S. 224. tab. 11.) 



Sp. Charact. — Bill about 1^ inches long, straight, broad at base, 

 entire ; middle tail feathers very long, abruptly narrowing towards 

 the extremity, being slender and acute at point; tarsus 1| inches 

 long, with the protuberances obsolete. — Adult, blackish-brown, 

 neck and beneath white, the former tinged with yellow. The 

 young wholly brownish. 



This species, like the former, inhabits the Arctic seas, 

 and hyperborean regions, migrating short distances, and 

 chiefly out seaward, towards milder climates in the course 

 of the winter. It resides indifferently both in America and 

 Arctic Europe. The young are sometimes, though very 

 rarely, seen near the United States. Dr. Leach's specimens 

 were killed in Hecla Bay, Spitzbergen, by Sir Edward 

 Parry's party, where the species was abundant. 



Total length 9 inches ; excluding the central tail feathers 16 inches ; 

 these long feathers 9 inches ; wing 13 inches ; length of the bill 

 from above, 1 inch 2 lines, the bill to the rictus 2 inches ; the tarsus 

 1 inch 8 lines ; the middle toe 1 inch 3 lines. — Adult, with the head 

 above and before the eye, the whole dorsal plumage, wings and tail, 

 nearly uniform blackish-grey. The quills and end of the tail nearly 

 black, their shafts v/hite. Neck above and below, as well as the 

 throat, straw-yellov/. Breast, a patch under the wings, and under 

 tail coverts, dark greenish-grey. Belly and sides white. Bill horn 

 color above ; its tip, the legs, and feet black : transverse diameter of 

 the bill in front 7 lines. The middle tail feathers are an inch and a 

 quarter wide at the base, retaining most of their breadth until they 

 pass the rest of the tail featliers, whence they suddenly and evenly 

 taper to an acute point that projects 3 inches beyond the adjoining 

 feathers. Tarsus stout, smooth behind ; the scales somewhat eleva- 

 ted, though not pointed, and larger and farther apart than in the 

 preceding species. 



