THB SKUA GULL. 175 



THE SKUA GULL. (Lestns sciarractes. ) 



This daring Jager, or feathered pirate of the ocean 

 (says Nuttall) has spread its dominion to the extremes of 

 both hemispheres, dwelling chiefly on the hyperboreal oi 

 antarctic seas. It is found in the Hebrides, Orkney, Shet- 

 land, and Faroe Islands, as well as in Norway and Iceland. 

 In America, it is found in the high northern regions ; then 

 again in many parts of the Pacific, at Port Egmont, in the 

 Falkland Islands (hence called Port Egmont Hens.) In 

 the latter end of December, their breeding season in that 

 hemisphere, at Christmas Sound, in Terra del Fuego, they 

 were found in great plenty, making their nests in the dry 

 grass. They are also seen to the east of New Zealand 

 Such is the extensive geographic range of this specie^ 

 according to Pennant and others, at the same time, we may 

 fairly doubt the identity of the northern and southern birds, 

 Kince they are but rarely seen on their passage any great 

 distance towards the south. Off the coast of Newfoundland, 

 probably this species is seen in June, widely explc^ing the 

 ocean, and in the depth of winter they migrate mto the 

 bays along the coast of Massachusetts, but I believe they 

 are nearly unknown as far south as the coast of New 

 Jersey. 



As the supposed identic species of the two hemispheres 

 appear therefore never to meet in their range to warmei 



