978 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS.— LONGIPENNES. 



bright- yellow; ends of toes black. Whole body transversely waved with dull rufous. On 

 head, neck, and under parts, this rufous predominates, and the bands are very numerous, of 

 about the same width as the intervening dark color. On Hanks and under tail-coverts the 

 bars become wider, and paler or almost white. On back and wing-coverts brownish-black 

 prevails, and if any rufous is present, it is merely as narrow edging of the feathers. Quills and 

 tail-feathers brownish-black, darker at tips, whitish toward bases of primaries on inner webs. 

 Light rufous jiredominating on head and neck ; a dusky spot before eye. All the above stages 

 traceable from one to another, and evidently progressive with age, though the several plumages 

 described do not always succeed one another regularly ; all are independent of sex and season, 

 and diflferent from the following melanotic state, in which the bird is nearly unicolor ; blackish- 

 brown, deepening into black on pileum, lightening into fuliginous-brown on abdomen, with a 

 slight gilding of the black on sides of neck ; bases of primaries M'hitish. The feet are chromo- 

 variegated and tlie middle tail-feathers scarcely project 0.50 in all the melanotic individuals I 

 have examined, indicating immaturity; but it is probable that breeding adults may be found 

 in this condition, and certain that the melanism is not permanent in all individuals that disi)lay 

 it at some period of their lives. This species is very wide ranging ; it chiefly inhabits the 

 Northern Hemisphere, breeding within the Arctic circle, but in winter reaches South Africa, 

 North Australia, and portions of South America. Not common in North America, but observed 

 along the coasts and over some of the larger inland waters of the U. S. during migrations and in 

 winter. Nest on the ground; eggs 2-3, 2.35 X 1.05, of variable olivaceous, greenish, or 

 brownish ground color, more or less heavily spotted with dark brown. (A. 0. U. misspells 

 " pomarinus" after Temm. 1815.) 



S. parasit'icus. (Lat. parasiticus, parasitic.) Parasitic and Richardson's Jaeger of 

 the books. Arctick Bird (9) of P2d wards, 1751, pi. 149. Arctic Gull and Black-toed 

 Gull of Pennant, 1768. Fasceddar or Fasgadair of the Hebrides. Shooi of the Shet- 

 lands. ScouTY-ALLEN of the Orkneys (also Scoutv-aulin, Scouti-aulin, Scouti- 

 allin, etc.). Skait-bird. Boatswain, Marlingspike, Teaser, and Dunghunter 

 of U. S. fishermen.) Bill much shorter than head or tarsus, as high as broad at base. Cul- 

 men broad, flattened, scarcely appreciably convex to unguis, which is moderately convex. 

 Rami very long ; gonys very short ; both somewhat concave in outline. Eminentia symphysis 

 small but well-marked. Tomia of upper mandible at first ascending and a little concave, then 

 descending and a little convex, very concave toward tip. Cere without oblique striae, but a 

 straight longitudinal sulcus on each side of culmen; length of cere greater than that of unguis. 

 Feathers extending far on upper mandible, with a curved free outline, so broad that the feath- 

 ers of its sides meet over culmen. Feathers on lower mandible also projecting considerably, 

 almost filling the triangular sulcus on tlie side, as well as the angular space between rami. 

 Wings moderately long, strong, pointed; 1st primary much the longest; rest regularly and 

 rapidly graduated. Tail contained not quite 2^ times in the wing, the lateral feathers gradu- 

 ated only 0.50, the acuminate middle pair projecting 3.00-4.00 only, and beginning to taper 

 about 4.00 from their very acute tips. Feet rather short and quite slender ; tarsus as long as 

 middle toe and claw ; tibia naked 0.50 above the joint; scutellation and reticulation the same 

 as already described under S- pomatorhinus . Adult ^^ 9 ? in breeding plumage : A decided 

 occii)ital crest and a calotte. Nuchal region with the feathers acuminate and rigid, with loos- 

 ened webs. Pileum, occipital crest, and whole upper parts brownish-black, with somewhat 

 slaty tinge and slight metallic gloss, deepening into black on wings and tail. Shafts of prima- 

 ries and rectrices whitish, except at tips ; their inner vanes whitening toward their bases. 

 Chin, throat, sides of head, neck all round, and under parts to vent, pure white ; the rigid, 

 acuminate feathers of lateronuchal region light yellow. Under tail-coverts like upper parts, 

 but somewhat fuliginous, with sharp line of demarcation from white of abdomen. Bill horn- 

 colored, the hook darker than the cere ; tarsi and toes black. Smaller than the Pomatorhine 



