594 LARID^. 



fortnight, and then died. The very first day of its 

 captivity it (is said to have) devoured twenty-five Spar- 

 rows. Once it escaped, and immediately attacked a 

 Duck, which it held till recaptured." '^' 



EICHARDSON'S SKUA. : 



LESTRIS, RICHARDSONII. 



Crown dusky ; cheeks, neck, and under plumage, white, tinged with yellow or 

 brown ; rest of the plumage dusky, the wings and tail the darkest. Two 

 central tail-feathers tapering from the base, pointed, and projecting six inches ; 

 tarsus less than two inches. Length twenty -one inches. Eggs olive, with a 

 circle of brcwn spots near the larger extremity, the rest speckled with the 

 same colour. 



This species of Skua, most familiarly known, perhaps, as the 

 Arctic Gull, received its distinctive name, " Richardson's," 

 in honour of the eminent Arctic naturalist. It is dis- 

 tinguished from the species already described by its longer 

 tail, but the habits of all are much ahke ; indeed, the names 

 of "Arctic Gull," " Boatswain," " and Man-of-War," appear 

 to be sometimes employed indiscriminately. Richardson's 

 Skua, like the rest, inhabits the Arctic seas, but extends 

 its wanderings southwards in far greater numbers than 

 either of the other species, so that its occurrence on the 

 coast of England is not unusual. According to Mr. Dunn, 

 " numbers of this bird breed in Orkney and Shetland, 

 appearing regularly in May and leaving in August : it is 

 confined to a few situations and is strictly preserved, from 

 the same motive as the Skua Gull. It constructs its nest 

 on low, not mossy, heaths in exposed situations. The 

 female lays two eggs, and has recourse to the same strata- 

 gems that the Plover employs to decoy you from the nest ; 

 but when a person approaches near to the place where the 

 nest is built, becomes bold and fierce, and strikes severely 

 with the feet and bill." The following account is taken 



* Zoologist, vol. iii. p. 880. 



