THE PARASITIC JAEGER. 709 



marvelously swift and cruelly graceful, the little corsairs hurry to and fro 

 ' to observe which of their fisher-friends has made a catch, and to make instant 

 requisition for it. It may even be a Glaucous Gull that has just swallowed 

 a herring, and if detected in the act the Gull moves off screaming, while the 

 little bully darts at him repeatedly, and prods and browbeats him until he is 

 glad to disgorge for the sake of being rid of his persecutor. 



The Kittiwake Gull is the acknowledged thrall of this rapacious viking, 

 and if his eggs or callow _\-oung escape the devouring beak, it is only that they 

 may henceforth share the spoils of the sea with their merciless master. Bullies 

 are also cowards, and it pleases us to learn that this larger species stands in 

 awe of its lesser kinsmen, the Parasitic, and the Long-tailed Jaeger, and that it 

 has to submit to a drubbing now and then at the hands of one or another of 

 these peppery assailants. 



Jaegers follow their victims southward in the fall, but the Pomarine is 

 everywhere less common than the other species in western waters, and it 

 seldom comes so far as the Straits of Juan de Fuca. altlio it has been taken 

 on the coast of California. 



No. 288. 



PARASITIC JAEGER. 



A. O. U. No. 37. Stercorarius parasiticus (Linn.). 



Synonym. — Richardson's Tahgkr. 



Description. — Quite similar to preceding species in general appearance of 

 plumage and in color phases; smaller; the central pair of tail-feathers elongated 

 about three inches beyond others and tapering: light phase not so dark as in .S". 

 pnniariiius. — fuscous rather than dusky, thrnout, except top of head and lores, 

 which are blackish. Length 15.00-21.00 (381-533. 4). av. 17.00 C431.8) ; wing 

 13.00 (330.2): tail 7.50 (190.5); bill 1.20 (30.5); tarsus 1.80 (45.7). 



Recognition Marks. — Crow size, but appearing larger ; marks much as in 

 preceding species, but central pair of tail-feathers sharply pointed, produced about 

 three inches beyond others ("not nearlv so long as in the Long-tailed Jaeger, S. 

 lougicaiidus) . 



Nesting. — Does not breed in Washington. Nest: on the ground. Eggs: 2 or 

 3, "olive-drab to green-gray and brown, marked with several shades of chocolate 

 brown, and an obscure stone-gray, distributed over the entire egg." Av. size, 

 2.30 X 1.65 (58.4 X 41.9). 



General Range. — Xnrthern part of northern hemisphere, southward in win- 

 ter to South Africa and South .America. Breeds in high northern districts, and 

 winters from New York and California southward to Brazil. 



Range in Washington. — Common spring and fall migrant on Puget Sound 

 and West Coast. 



