1. MEGALESTRIP. 317 



Stercorarius (Bupliapfus) skua, Cones, Kvy N. Amer. B. p. 309 (1872). 

 Me<?ale8liis skua, lUd./iu. Bidl. U.S. Nat. Mm. no. 21, p. 5.3 (1881) ; 



Baird, Brewer, .^ liid</w. Waler-B. N. Amer. ii. p. 328 (1884); 



Goss, Auk, 1884, p. 3!)o (Mass.); Turner, Pr. U.S. Nat. Mm. 



viii. p. 252 (1885: Labrador); A. O. U. Check-l. N. Amer. B. 



p. 85 (18S6); Dutaher, Aid; 1886, p. 432; id. op. cit. 1887, 



p. 158 (Nantucket) ; Rldiiw. Man. N. Amer. B. p. 21 (1887) ; 



Har/erup, B. Greenl. p. 45 (1891). 



Adult. Head and nape uraber-brown ; neck rather paler, the 

 acuminate feathers streaked with yellowish brown, ruddier at the 

 junction with the back, which is more or less streaked with rufous ; 

 wing-surface darker brown ; primaries chiefl_y umber, the exposed 

 basal portions of the inner webs white, forming a band vdiich is 

 very conspicuous when the bird is flying ; (juill-shafts chiefly 

 white ; tail-coverts brown, streaked with dull rufous ; rectrices 

 umber; under surface up to the throat pale chestnut-brown ; under 

 wing-covorts dark brown, with a little rufous at times : biU black, 

 the cere with a greyish tinge ; iris dark brown ; tarsi and toes 

 black. Total length 21 inches, culmen 2-4, wing 15-5 to 16, 

 tail 6-5, tarsus 2"75, middle toe with claw 3. 



The sexes are alike iu plumage : the female is, perhaps, a trifle 

 the larger, but trustworthy material is scarce. 



Eeyond a certain freshness in the new feathers, there is no 

 marked seasonal change, and the moult appears to be very gradual, 

 the plumage of the neck and shoulders having generally a weather- 

 worn appearance, as is also the ease with many llaptores. Mr. 

 G. T. Fox, who kept a bird alive for ten years, says that it showed 

 no change with age ; but one which Dr. Xeil knew to be in its 

 twenty-fourth year, became paler, as might have been expected. 

 Melanotic varieties are occasionally met with, but the blackish tint 

 is by no means intense. 



Yoioir/. Similar to the adult, bat with less tendencj' to acumina- 

 tion and striation in the feathers of the neck, and with somewhat 

 rufous margins to the feathers of the mantle. 



Nestling. Buffish grey ; ruddier on the upper surface. 



Eam/e. Iceland, the Ficroes, and the Shetland Islands (breeding) ; 

 South Greenland and Norwaj' (sparingly); in winter southward 

 along the Atlantic sea-board to the Straits of Gibraltar or a little 

 further, and occasionally on the inland waters of the Continent. 

 On the American side, Hudson Strait (possibly breeding), and 

 southward to the fishing-grounds off the coast of the New England 

 States. No confirmation of reported occurrences in the Fur Countries 

 or on Pacific side. 



a. .Tuv. sk. Devonshire. Col. Montagu [C.]. 



b. Pull. sk. Shetland. Purchased." 



c,d. d 2 ad. ; Fffiroes, Mav, .Tune, and July 8 II. Saunders Coll. 



e. Pull. sk. (H. C. Miiller). 



f. Imni.sk. ra;roes(melanic),Aug.(S'.C.3/.). H. Saimders Coll. 



'g. 2 ad. sk. Fajroes, Aug. 17 {H. C. M.). Col.II.W.Foilden [P.]. 



h. S ad. sk. Faroes, Aug. 28 {H. C. M.). Tlunie Coll. 



i~7i. cT $ ad.sk. FitToes, July {H. C. M.). E. Ilargitt CnW. 



