354 BRITISH BIRDS. 



arctic regions of both hemispheres, including the Faroe Islands, Iceland, 

 Spitzbergen, and Nova Zembla. In winter it wanders down the west 

 European and African coasts as far as the Cape of Good Hope, but does 

 not migrate far into the Mediterranean. It has occurred on migration in 

 the valley of the Volga, and winters on the Mekran coast and the west 

 coast of India as far south as Bombay. Snow obtained it near the Kurile 

 Islands ; but it has hitherto escaped detection on the Japanese and Chinese 

 coasts, though it has occurred several times in New Zealand. On the 

 Atlantic coast of America it ranges in winter to New Brunswick and the 

 coasts of the United States, and has probably occurred as far south as Rio 

 de Janeiro. It has no nearer ally than Buffon's Skua. 



Richardson's Skua has inappropriately been called the Arctic Skua by 

 Pennant, Montagu, Be\vick, Selby, Saunders, and others ; but as this name 

 has often been most appropriately applied to BufFon's Skua, and as Richard- 

 son's Skua is the least Arctic of all the Skuas, it is absurd to perpetuate 

 the misnomer. In its habits it differs very little from Buffon's Skua. Its 

 flio'ht is very strong and powerful and much resembles that of a Hawk. 

 It can turn and double with wonderful facility, and when indulging in its 

 usual practice of chasing a Gull or a Tern until it drops the fish it has just 

 secured, its poor victim seems to have no chance of escape, and is headed 

 by the Skua with the greatest ease. It is not content with robbing other 

 birds of their hard-earned food, but it seldom loses a favourable oppor- 

 tunity of preying upon their eggs or young. It is also one of the scaven- 

 gers of the coast, and picks up the numerous stranded animals thrown up 

 by the tide as well as floating on the water. At its breeding-grounds it 

 also eats insects and fruit. In winter it is rarely seen inland, and often 

 goes far out to sea, especially to attend the fishing-boats. 



Richardson's Skua is a somewhat late breeder, and passes northwards on 

 migration along our shores during April on its way to its nesting-grounds, 

 which it reaches early in May. Even in Scotland its eggs are seldom laid 

 before the end of that month, whilst in the valley of the Petchora we did 

 not obtain eggs until the second week in June. Although Richardson's 

 Skua is a very gregarious bird and mixes freely with flocks of Buftbn's 

 Skuas, it can scarcely be said to breed in colonies. The eggs are scattered 

 far and wide over the moors, and are very diflBcult to find except by the 

 somewhat tedious process of watching the female to the nest. The vicinity 

 of a nest is generally discovered by the anxiety of the female, who careers 

 wildly about and occasionally swoops down within a few inches of the 

 observer's head. By lying quietly on the grass her alarm disappears; 

 she alights on the ground and after changing her position several times, 

 generally ends by settling down on her eggs. Like Buffon's Skua this 

 species may often be seen perched motionless on a hillock on the tundra, 

 where it remains for a quarter of an hour or more. At other times it is 



