8()4 



NESTS AND EGGS OF AVSTK ALLAN BIRDS. 



and the Southern Ocean in general, ranging as far north as Madagascar 

 and the Comoro Islands. 



Xcst. — A depression in the moss or gi'ass, lined sparingly with the 

 same material, and iisnally situated in a diy place. Dimensions over all, 

 about 1 2 inches by 3 inches deep inside. 



Egi/s. — Clutch, two usually ; pointed oval or pyriform in shape; 

 textiu'e of shell exceedingly coarse, especially at the smaller end ; siu-face 

 .sUghtly glossy ; colour, one &gg of a pair dull olive-green, the other olive- 

 brown, both sparingly blotched (sometimes the markings being more 

 nmnerous on the apex) with dark oUve-brown and dull brown or gi-eyish- 

 black. Resemble those of the Pacific Gull ( drihiduua iHirifinia), but, as a 

 rule, slightly smaller and not so munerou.sly marked. Dimensions in 

 inches of odd examples : (1) 2-9 x 20, (2) 2-9 x 1-94 ; of a proper clutch 

 from Macquarie Island: (olive-green egg) 2-97 x 2-12, (olive-brown egg) 

 2-85 X 2-16. (Plate 25.) 



Observations. — This dusky and daring sea-pirate frequents chieflv 

 the bleak islands in the higher latitudes washed by the great Southern 

 Ocean. Professor Hutton states it is rare north of latitude 45 ° 

 Its habitat also includes Australian seas up to temperate waters. 



The Southern Skua, commonly called Sea Hen by sailors, is very 

 closely alUed to the gi-eat European Skua, which is said to be fast 

 becoming exterminated, but from which it differs in its somewhat 

 larger size and darker colour. 



The Skua may be distinguished from other ocean fliers by the more 

 flapping motion of its roundish wings and laboured mode of flight. 



Gould observed the Skua abundant particularly in Storm Bay, at 

 the mouth of the Derwent River, Tasmania. 



Sir Walter Buller gives a little interesting New Zealand incident 

 regarding the Skua. He was travelling by coach on the west coast, 

 when a bird, evidently worn out with fatigue, was rising evei-y time 

 the coach was within a few yards of it, instead of making a circuit and 

 getting behind the pur.suing coach. 



" But the Skua ashore," writes Sir Walter Buller, " was evidently 

 out of his latitude ; and this was made more apparent by the manner 

 in which the Sea Gulls (of both species), his hereditary victims at sea, 

 pursued him in the air and buffeted him. As is well known, this bird 

 usually subsists by plunder, pursuing the Gulls and compelling them to 

 disgorge their food. Here, however, the conditions were changed, as 

 I myself had an opportunity of observing fi-om the box-scat. The 

 Skua had alighted in a shallow beach-stream and wa.s ducking its body 

 in the water, when a fine old Hawk (Circus gouldi), with hoary white 

 plumage, suddenly appeared from the sand-hills and swooped down upon 

 the intruder. The Skua., without making any show of resistance, 

 instantlv disgorged from his crop the entire body of a Diving Petrel 

 (Pch'rnnindes urinnfrir). The Hawk, balancing himself for a moment, 

 with outspread tail, dropped his long talons into (he stream and 

 clutched up his prey without wetting a feather of his plumage, and 

 then disappeared with it among the sand-hills, while the terrified Skua 



