678 LONG-TAILED OK BUFFON's SKUA. 



A. H. Markham R.N. obtained a nestling, now in my possession. 

 Eastward, this species can be traced across the tundras of Siberia 

 to Bering Sea, and is widely distributed throughout the Arctic 

 regions of America ; Col. Feilden met with no other Skua in Smith 

 Sound, and it also breeds m Greenland. On migration it ranges 

 southward as far as the Mediterranean, and down to about 40° N. 

 lat. on the east of America, as well as on the Pacific side. 



The eggs — usually 2 in number — are laid on the ground in some 

 slight hollow, and are smaller, greener, and more scrolled than those 

 of the Arctic Skua, which they otherwise resemble : average measure- 

 ments 2 by I "4 in. The birds are very bold when their nest is 

 approached, and utter a loud shrieking note ; the flight is remark- 

 ably swift and elegant. In summer, crowberries are largely con- 

 sumed by the young ; at other times beetles, crustaceans, worms, 

 small birds, fish robbed from other Gulls or Terns, and lemmings, 

 form the diet of this species, with a preference for the last. 



The adult has the upper part of the head dark brown ; neck 

 nearly encircled with bufifish-yellow ; back and central tail-feathers 

 of a greyer brown than in the Arctic Skua ; wings and the shorter 

 tail-feathers dark brown ; breast chiefly white ; flanks and belly 

 greyish-brown ; bill dark horn-colour ; legs olive-grey ; feet black. 

 Length 23 in., including the long tail-feathers, which sometimes 

 project as much as 9 in. in the male and 7 in the female ; wing 

 nearly 12 in. Immature birds are barred with greyish-brown and 

 white on both upper and under parts — especially on the breast, 

 flanks and tail-coverts. The young of the year are subject to a 

 little variation in tint, especially on the lower surface, but are always 

 greyer and less rufous than examples of the Arctic Skua. The 

 readiest distinction at any age is, however, to be found in the shafts 

 of the primaries ; these are a// white in the Arctic Skua, whereas 

 in the Long tailed Skua the two otite?- ones only on each side are 

 white, the rest being dusky : this fact was distinctly indicated by 

 Linnceus in his description. 



In the young of this and of the two preceding species the inter- 

 digital webs are parti-coloured, as shown in the vignette of the 

 Pomatorhine Skua (p. 674). This peculiarity led Banks to confer 

 the name crepidatiis (sandalled) on the Arctic Skua, but Gmelin was 

 the first to describe that species. 



