662 



GA VI.E. 



LARID^. 



LARID.E. 



Stercorarius catarrhactes (LinnaBus*). 

 THE GREAT SKUA. 



Lestris cataractcs. 



Stercorarius, Brissotii. — Bill strong, hard, cylindrical, formed for cutting ; 

 compressed, curved, and Looked at tLe point; base of the upper mandible 

 covered with a cere. Nostrils situated towards the point of the beak, diagonal, 

 narrow, closed behind, pervious. Legs strong, naked above the tarsi, which are 

 rather long ; three toes in front, palmated ; the hind toe small ; claws large, 

 strong, very much curved. Tail slightly rounded, the two middle feathers 

 elongated, sometimes considerably. Wings moderate, the first quill-feather the 

 longest. 



The various species of the genus Stercorarius have long 



* Larus Calarractcs, Liun;eus, Syst. Nat. Ed. 12, i. p. "226 (1766). 

 + Oinithologie, vi. p. 1.50 (176n). 



