BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 155 



pouncing clown on a bird. It is a noble bird on the wing, reminding 

 one much of the Swamp-Hawk (Circus gouldi) in the manner in 

 which it sails in great circles, and, in small companies, hawks 

 backwards and forwards over the same ground. When progressing 

 at what might be termed an ordinary rate of speed, it beats the 

 air with its wings 100 times in 80 seconds (actual count). When 

 sailing directly in the eye of the wind on. motionless wings, and 

 wishful of changing its course either to the right or the left, the 

 tips of the wings are slightly depressed and the body brought 

 round by a slight lateral movement of the head and tail, but not 

 the faintest semblance of a flap is given. Its cry is a very harsh 

 single note, which frequently might be mistaken for a short, sharp 

 bark uttered by a terrier dog. At other times a somewhat long 

 drawn out note, sounding like " Oh-ah," is uttered in doublets, 

 especially when hawking in couples over Petrel rookeries. 



FAMILY— STERCORARIID/E (2 species). 



SKUA 



(Megalestris antaictica, Less.) 



Male. — Crown of the head very dark brown, almost black; rest 

 of upper surface dark brown; under surface slightly paler; iris 

 dark brown; bill, legs, and feet black. Dimensions in mm. : — 

 Length, 595; bill, 54; wing, 410; tail, 170; tarsus, 80. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Young. — Faint wash of rufous on upper surface, also on wing 

 coverts. 



Nest. — A depression in the moss or grass, with a little lining in 

 the shape of a few grass-stems. 



Eggs. — Clutch two; varying in shape from pointed oval to pyri- 

 form ; texture of shell coarse ; slight gloss on surface ; colour varies 

 from olive-green to olive-brown; in a pair one is usually olive-green 

 and the other olive-brown, both sparingly blotched with dark 

 olive-brown or dull brown and greyish-black. They may 

 be distinguished from those of the Pacific Gull by being less 

 marked and slightly smaller. Dimensions in mm. of a pair: — (1) 

 75 X 53, (2) 78 x 55. 



Breeding Season. — August to November. 



Geographical Distribution. — Tasmania and Australian seas ; 

 also Southern Ocean in general, ranging as far north as 

 Madagascar. 



Observations. — Of this species in the Antarctic, Dr. E. A. 

 Wilson says: — "They live here, as Skuas do elsewhere, largely 

 by harassing other birds until they disgorge. We saw one dipping 

 at a Whale-bird (Prion]. Fear was a thing apparently unknown 

 to them, for in the open ocean we watched them chasing even the 

 largest Albatross, and no sooner did the sailing flight of the Skua 



