SKUA GITLL. 49 



llAiUTS. 

 Ross's Giill is one of tlie few species of birds Avliieli resides constantly in the Arctic 

 Tletrions, foi' only stragglers e\'er cross the Arctic Circle, even in Winter. It (loc.-- not 

 appear to he a generally distrilmted species and eonse{iuenlly is very rare in collections. 



MEGALESTRIS SKUA. 

 Skua Gull. 



Lestris skua Tjiuxn., Orii. llor., 1764. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Oh. Size, large. Form, nlnist. Bill, stout. Tail. ri.niuilL'il : uiidille feathers not especially elon- 

 gated. 



Color. Adult. Brown thruuy;lMut, with tlic scapularios, interscaimlarii's. and wing coverts striju'd 

 ■centrally '.vith cinnamon. Neck and lower parts, also streaked with pale cinnamun. There is a whitish 

 patch at the base of the primaries. Iris, brown. Bill, yellowish. Feet, black. 



Young. Similar to the adult, Tnit more conspicuously streaked with yellowish cinnamon, especially on 

 the heail and neck. Downy yo\ing. Grayish brown throughout, darkest on the lower surface of the body. 



()I]SERVATIONS. 

 There i.s a dark phase of iilumnge in which there are no einnamon markings. Known from all other spe- 

 cies of Skuas by the large size and rounded tail, without elongated central feathers. Occurs while breeding 

 on the coast and islands of the eastern side of the North Atlantic, migrating soiithward to Sjtain: stragglers 

 only reach tlie North American coast. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Length, L'l'-()0 to 2.J-0U; wlug, liJ-OO to 17-(H): tail, il'iKi to lyod: bill, L'OU to 2-50: tarsus, 2-40 to 

 2-7S. 



DESCRIBTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Nests, placed on the ground, composed of sticks, grass, etc. Eggs, two or three in nuudx'r, oval in 

 form, olive in color, spotted and blotched with dark brown. Dimensions, I'itD.x 2-70 to 1 ■'■>'> x'J-T-'). 



HABITS. 

 The great Skua Gull breeds on the lonely heaths of the Sliethuids, and even here it 

 is rather shy, but when on the open ocean, where it spends a greater pui'tion of its time, 

 it is exceedingly difficult to a[)proach. 



ORDER XVI. STEGANOPODES. PELICANS, ETC. 



Toes, inchidiug posterior, connected hi/ a memira?ie. Throat, provided wilk an exten- 

 sible (ji/Iar sac. Marginal indentations, two, open. Keel, short and low, vhilc f/ie furcula 

 is joined firmlij to its tip. 



^lenibers of Ihis order are rcmarkal)le on account of the tolipalmate feet and exten- 

 sible s.ic on Ihniat which i.s :ilways present, and in some species, enormously developed. 

 External nostrils, very miimte. The anatomical structure is also peculiar but somewiiaL 

 variable, the most eoustaiit cbar.-icter beiu.L;- the forui (d' the furcula, as given, and the fact 

 that it is always joined iirndy to tip of keel. Sterno-lraehealis, present; other laryngeal 

 muscles, absent or we.-ik. Sexes, generally similar. For further description, sec family 

 characters. 



FA:sIILV T. SULlDyl*:. Tllf; GANNETS. 



Bill, about as lomj as bead, (juitv thick at base, and pointed. Otilur sac, quite small. 

 Sf<:ruum, twice as long as wide. Coracoids, ab( ut one lialf as long as sternum. 



