868 SKOOI—SKUA 



movement, while the lower mandible, which is considei'ably the 

 longer of the two, is laterally compressed so as to be as thin as a 

 knife -blade. This bird is the Rhynchops nigra of Linnaeus; who, 

 however, united with it what proves to be an allied species from 

 India that, having been indicated many years before by Petiver 

 (Gazoph. Nat. tab. 76, fig. 2), on the authority of Buckley, and named 

 by J. R. Forster in 1781, was only technically described in 1838 by 

 Swainson {Anim. Menag. p. 360) as R. albicoUis. A third species, R. 

 flavirostris, inhabits Africa; and examples from South America, though 

 by many writers regarded as identical with R. nigra, are considered 

 by Mr. Saunders {Proc. Zool. Soc. 1882, p. 522) to form a fourth, 

 R. melanwa of Swainson {ut suprci, p. 340), and he has now separated 

 southern examples as a fifth, R, intercedens. All these resemble one 

 another very closely, and, apart from their singularly-formed bill, 

 have the structure and appearance of Terns. Some authors make 

 a Family of the genus, but it seems needless to remove it from 

 the Laridse (Gull). In breeding-habits the Skimmers agree with 

 the Terns, the largest species of which group they nearly equal 

 in size, and indeed only seem to differ from them in the mode of 

 taking their food, which is well described by Mr. Darwin {Journ. 

 of Researches, chap, vii.) from his own observation, and is of course 

 correlated with the extraordinary formation of their bill. 



SKOOI, see Skua. 



SKRABA, see Scraber. 



SKUA,^ the name for a long while given to certain of the 

 Laridx, which sufficiently differ in structure, appearance and habits 

 to justify their separation as a distinct genus, Stercorarius (Lestris of 

 some writers), subfamily, or even, according to a late author, a 

 Family — Stercorariidx. Swift of flight, powerfully armed and 

 intrepid, they pursue their weaker cousins, making the latter dis- 

 gorge their already-swallowed pr.ey, which is nimbly caught- before 

 it reaches the water ; and this habit, often observed by sailors and 

 fishermen, has made these predatory and parasitic birds locally 

 known as "Teasers," "Boatswains," and, from a misconception of 

 their intent, " Dunghunters." On land, however, whither they 

 resort to breed, they seek food of their own taking, whether small 

 mammals, little birds, insects, or berries ; but even here their 

 uncommon courage is exhibited, and they will defend their homes 

 and offspring with the utmost spirit against any intruder, repeatedly 

 shooting down on man or dog that invades their haunts, while 



1 Thus -WTitten by Hoier [circa 1604) as the name of a Freroese bird [hodie 

 Skuir), an example of which he'sent to Clusius [Exotic. Auct. p. 367). The word 

 being thence copied by Willughby has been generally adopted in English, and 

 applied to all the congeners of the species to which it was originally peculiar. 



