LARIDM. 87 



curved point black ; sides and back of the neck white, tinged with straw-yellow ; back, 

 tertials, wing, and tail-coverts brownish-grey; primaries and tail-feathers almost black; 

 chin, throat, and upper parts of belly white ; lower part of the belly, the vent, and under 

 tail-coverts light brownish-grey ; legs, toes, and their membranes black ; the tarsi still 

 bearing some traces of their previous yellow colour. The whole length from the point of 

 the beak to the end of the tail-feather next the central pair, thirteen inches and a half, 

 the central feathers extending nine inches beyond ; the wing, from the anterior bend to 

 the end of the longest quill-feather, twelve inches ; the tarsus one inch and a half ; the 

 middle toe and the claw rather shorter, or one inch and three-eighths. Independently of 

 the difference in measurements, adult birds of this species, compared with old ones of the 

 species previously described, have the head always much darker in colour, while the back 

 is lighter." 



These four species represent our British Skuas. A fifth European species is 

 mentioned by Yarrell under the name of Stercorarius cepphus ; but Mr. Howard Saunders 

 gives it as another name for the present species. 



The Chilian Skua (Stercorarius chilensis). — There are three species of Great Skuas, viz., 

 S. catairhactes, S. antarcticus, and S. chilensis. Mr. Howard Saunders says : — " The affinities of 

 the well-defined form are decidedly with S. catarrhactes, and not with S. antarcticus; it is, 

 indeed, a somewhat slighter bird than the former, and remarkable for its rich cinnamon- 

 coloured under parts, wing-coverts, and axiUaries." Mr. Howard Saunders tells us the cool 

 current known as "Humboldt's current" probably brings the bird up the shores of the South 

 Pacific from the Magellan Straits to Peru.* 



Antarctic Skua {Stercorarius antarcticus). — This, the giant of the Skuas, is the Southern 

 Seas representative of our own Common Skua, which it almost exactly resembles, but on 

 a larger scale. In mid-ocean this bird and the "Spectacled Petrel" both go by the name 

 of "Cape Hen." It is also called "Cape Hawk." 



This great Skua reigns supreme over all other ocean birds, robbing right and left, — 

 here, there, and everywhere, — just as it suits his royal fancy. I have seen them pursue 

 nearly every member of the .Petrel family, from the Great Albatross down to the Cape 

 Pigeon, and desist only on being handed over the spoil that tempted their cupidity. They 

 stand out in striking contrast to most other bird-followers of a ship, in habits, appearance, 

 and movements; for while the Petrels, the Terns, and the Gulls, are sailing easily and 



* This may account for the presence of the Albatross {A. irrorata) at Callao. 



