POMARINE SKUA. 489 



Feet black ; the upper half of the tarsus greyish-blue. Upper 

 part and sides of the head blackish-brown ; upper part of 

 neck all round yellowish-white ; the rest of the neck white, 

 barred with dusky, each feather with two bars ; lower parts 

 white ; the sides, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts barred 

 with brownish-black. Back and wings brownish-black ; 

 quills and tail-feathers white on the inner web toward 

 the base. 



Length to end of tail 22 inches ; wing from flexure 14 ; 

 tail 6f ; bill along the ridge l\%; tarsus 2; middle toe l|i, 

 its claw yV- 



Female. — Similar to the male. One figured by Mr. 

 Audubon measured : — 



Length 20:^ inches ; extent of wings 48 ; wing from 

 flexure 14 ; tail 6y^ ; bill along the ridge l^Vj along the 

 edge of lower mandible 2^ ; tarsus 2-^ ; middle toe l-j^^, 

 its claw ^. 



Habits. — This handsome bird inhabits the arctic seas, 

 extending as far southward as Nova Scotia, and along the 

 coasts of Europe beyond the British Channel. The young, 

 M. Temminck says, occasionally stray to the lakes of Ger- 

 many and Switzerland. It does not appear to be perma- 

 nently resident in Britain, or to have been found breeding 

 there ; but considerable numbers must frequent our coasts 

 in autumn, winter, and spring, as many are recorded to have 

 been seen, and not a few killed, in various parts of Scotland 

 and England. It is not mentioned by my correspondent. 

 Dr. Edmondston, or by Mr. Dunn, as occurring in Shetland. 

 In Orkney it must be rare, as only one specimen is recorded 

 by Messrs. Baikie and Heddle as having been obtained there. 

 I have seen it several times, and once shot at it, near 

 Aberdeen. In the Firth of Forth it is not extremely unfre- 

 quent. Mr. Selby mentions cases of its occurrence on the 

 coasts of Durham and Yorkshire, and Mr. Yarrell records 

 others in various parts of England. Young birds are more 

 frequently seen than adults, and are much less shy, though 

 far more so than most Gulls. 



