THE BIRD BOOK 



35. Skua. Megalestris skua. 



Range. — Coasts and islands of the North At- 

 lantic, chiefly on the European side; rare on the 

 Atlantic coast of North America. 



Skuas are large (22 inches in length) and very 

 powerfully built birds, having the general form 

 of a Gull. Their whole plumage is a dingy brown- 

 ish black color, palest below. Breeds in Iceland 

 and possibly on some of the islands in Hudson 

 Strait. The nest is a hollow on the ground in 



Olive brown 



the marsh grass and is lined with grass. The 

 two eggs which they lay have an olive greenish 

 ground, spotted with dark brown. Size 2.75 x 1.90. 



Pomapine Jaeger 



36. Pomarine Jaeger. Stercorarius pomarinus. 



Range/ — Northern Hemisphere, breeding within the Arctic Circle, more 

 commonly in the Old World. 



In the breeding plumage, this 

 Jaeger has the crown and face 

 blackish; back and sides of head, 

 throat and under parts pure white, 

 except the pointed stiffened feath- 

 ers of the neck which are yellow. 

 Back, wings and tail blackish, the 

 latter with the two middle feath- 

 ers lengthened about four inches 

 beyond the rest of the tail, and 

 broad to the tips, which are twist- 

 ed so that the feathers are verti- 

 cal. They breed throughout the 

 Arctic regions, but not as common- 

 ly in America as the following 

 species. The nest is on the ground 

 in the marsh grass and is made of 

 grass and moss. They lay two and rarely three eggs of an olive brown or 

 greenish color. These are spotted with brown and black. Size 2.20 x 1.70. 



36 



Deep olive brown 



