BUFFON S SKUA. lOI 



This robbery is often performed by two birds in unison, but 

 whether the birds alternate in disposing of the spoil or not 

 could not be learned. When a Jaeger is wounded, others of 

 its kind show much concern, and I have secured several birds 

 in succession which were drawn within range by the cries and 

 struggles of their companions. The habits in general of this 

 and the following species are extremely similar along the coast 

 region of Bering Sea, and both breed abundantly on all that 

 broad belt of low barren plains and marshy country bordering 

 the coast along the entire northern end of the continent. When 

 surprised near its nest it creeps along the ground with flapping 

 wings to decoy away the intruder." 



Nest. — As a rule, a depression in the moss, but Mr. Trevor- 

 Battye found one in Kolguev which was among dead water- 

 grass in a bog, and was more than a mere depression, for 

 grasses had been walled into the lining. 



Eggs. — Two in number. Ground-colour dark chocolate- 

 brown varying to light clay - colour, the darker eggs more 

 strongly marked with deep brown or blackish, the spots being 

 distributed over the greater part of the egg, and the grey under- 

 lying markings very indistinct. The pale eggs have the spots 

 collected round the larger end, the rest of the egg being rather 

 free from markings. Axis, 2-3-2-55 inches; diam. i "5-1 -65. 



III. buffon's skua. stercorarius parasiticus. 



Larus parasiticus, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 226 (1766). 

 Lesfris parasitica, Macgill. Brit. B. v. p. 503 (1852). 

 Stercorarius parasiticus, Dresser, B. Eur. viii. p. 481, pi. 612, 



fig. I (1876); B. O. U. List Brit. B. p. 195 (1883); 



Saunders, ed. Yarrell's Brit. B. iii. p. 681 (1884); id. 



Man. Brit. B. p. 677 (1889). 

 Stercorarius bujfoiii, Boie ; Seebohm, Hist. Brit. B. iii. p. 358 



(1885). 

 Lestris parasiticus, Lilford, Col. Fig. Brit. B. part xxxu. 



(I' 



Adult Male. — General colour above slaty-grey, the wing-coverts 

 and scapulars like the back ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts and 



