1 68 



Southern Cross. 



other Great Skuas, of which four representatives are now recognised. 

 The species known as the ' Bonxie/ of the Shetlands, frequenting the 

 North Atlantic, is not known south of the coast of Morocco ; but in 

 the Southern Ocean, from the New Zealand area to Heard, Kerguelen, 

 Marion and Crozet Islands, and westward to the Falklands, is found a 

 larger and darker Skua {Megalestris antardica), which seems to breed 

 as far south as the South Shetlands and Cockburn Island, and I have 

 examined a specimen obtained by the Dundee whalers. Some six or 

 seven degrees of latitude separate this dark form from McCormick's 

 Skua, which is a much paler bird, almost dirty straw-colour about 



MACCOEMICK S SKUA. 

 {By })er mission of Sir George Newnes, Bart.) 



the head and neck. The fourth species, M. cMlensis, has the under 

 parts of a warm chestnut colour. Further specimens of these Southern 

 Skuas, with notes on their geographical distribution, are much wanted, 

 but anything approaching the extermination of a colony is to be 

 deprecated." 



This large Skua was observed in large numbers on several 

 occasions by the ' Southern Cross,'' and a great numy were shot by 

 Mr. Hanson at Cape Adare, but only two of the skins thus procured 

 were in the collections brought to England, and the series consists 

 principally of skins prepared by Mr. Evans after Mr. Hanson's death. 



