EUFFONS SKUA. 103 



Range in Great Britain. — An irregular migrant to our waters, 

 principally occurring on the east coasts, more rarely in the 

 Channel and on the west coasts. It has never occurred in 

 Scotland, according to Mr. Saunders, in any numbers, during 

 the cold season, and in Ireland it has been noticed in autumn, 

 and, sparingly, in spring. 



Range outside the British Islands. — " High circumpolar regions, 

 seldom breeding south of the Arctic Circle, unless on lofty 

 fells ; in autumn and winter migrating southwards as far as the 

 Straits of Gibraltar, as well as to about 40° N. lat. on the 

 Atlantic side of America^ and a little farther on the Pacific 

 side " {Sau/iders). 



Habits.— For a good account of the habits of Buffon's Skua 

 we are indebted to Mr. E. VV. Nelson's "Report," a work which I 

 have had much pleasure in introducing to English readers in the 

 course of the present work. He writes : — " I'his graceful and 

 handsome bird is the most common of the Jaegers on the 

 Alaskan coast and vicinity, and especially about Samt Michael's. 

 They arrive in this vicinity about the 12th or i5thofxMay, but are 

 not numerous until ten days or more later. They are first found 

 quartering the marshes in small parties of from two to six or 

 eight. They have a shrill phm-pheu-phm-pheu, uttered while 

 they are flying, and while the birds are quarrelling or pursuing 

 one another the ordinary note is often followed by a harsh qua. 

 At another time they have a rattling kr-r-r-r^ kr-r-r-r^ kr-r-r-7% 

 kri-kri krt-krt, the latter syllables shrill and querulous, and 

 sometimes followed by the long-drawn pheu-phcu-phm in the 

 same tone. They appear to be much more playful than the 

 other Jaegers, and parties of six or eight may be seen pursuing 

 one another back and forth over the marsh. The long, slender 

 tail-feathers and extreme grace on the wing of those birds render 

 them very much like the Swallow-tailed Kite. The mating 

 occurs with a great amount of noisy demonstration on the part 

 of several rivals, but once paired, the birds keep by themselves, 

 and early in June deposit their eggs in a depression on the 

 mossy top of some knoll upon rising ground. 



"In one instance, on June 16, while I was securing the eggs 

 of a Macrorhamphus, a pair of these Jaegers kept circling 

 about, uttering harsh screams and darting down within a few 



