THE BIKDS OF HELIGOLAND 565 



passes the isliind ia tolerable nmulicrs duriii^^ the course of the 

 autuum, but often remains entirely absent for a lony series of years. 

 It is not a sea-bird like the majority of its congeners, but nests near 

 fresh water at a greater or less distance from the sea. 



Its range extends from western Europe to central Asia, and from 

 the Mediterranean to southern Scandinavia. A form which so 

 closely resembles Sterna nigra that it is doubtful whether it can 

 really be separated from the latter, occurs as a breeding species in 

 America from the south of Canada to the south of Alaska. 



Skua — Lesfris. — This interesting genus consists of only six 

 species, of which four belong to the Northern and two to the 

 Southern Hemisphere ; the former of these are represented on the 



bird-list of Heligoland. 



371.— Common Skua [Grosse Eaubmowe]. 

 LESTRIS CATARRACTES, Illiger.i 



Heligolandish : Groot Skeetenjoager = Great Slcua. 



Lcstris catarrades. Naumann, x. 470. 

 Voriimun Skva. Dresser, viii. 457. 



Stercorairc catarach: Temminck, MaiincI, ii. 792, iv. 495. 



This stately bird is of such rare occurrence on this island that 

 it was thirty years before I could get an exanijjle shot here for my 

 collection. At last, on the 6th of November lSi^5, one was brought 

 me, — a fine old male, remarkably strong and heavy. This much- 

 coveted species had been seen several times in the course of 

 previous years : shot at, but missed, on one occasion, and killed by 

 a ' Badegast ' on another. The latter, however, was too proud of 

 his spoil to resign it to me. 



This species seems to be altogether not veiy rich in numbers, 

 for its breeding range is limited to a very narrow circle which does 

 not extend beyond Iceland, the Faroes and Shetland Islands. 

 English observers who have visited the nesting stations of these 

 birds have reported an alarming decrease in their numbers in the 

 course of about sixty years, so that we are only too well justified in 

 apprehending that, at no very distant time, this large and beautiful 

 bird may share the fate of Alca iw/pennis. 



' Stercorariua catarrhadts (Liiiii.). 



