290 RICHARDSON’S SKUA 
ing account of the capture of one of these birds, in 1844, indicates 
a bird of unusual daring and voracity: “ About the beginning of 
last October, a Pomarine Skua was taken in the adjoining village 
of Ovingdean. It had struck down a White Gull, which it would 
not quit: it was kept alive above a fortnight, and then died. The 
very first day of its captivity it (is said to have) devoured twenty- 
five Sparrows. Once it escaped, and immediately attacked a Duck, 
which it held till recaptured.’’? 
RICHARDSON’S SKUA 
STERCORARIUS CREPIDATUS 
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 brown spots near the larger extremity, the ~ 
rest speckled with the same colour. 
Tuts 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 distinguished from the species 
already described by its longer tail, but the habits of all are much 
alike; 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 east 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 stratagems 
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 from Mr. St. John’s Wild Sports of 
the Highlands: ‘‘I was much amused the other day by the 
proceedings of a pair of the Black-toed Gull or Boatswain. 
These two birds were sitting quietly on an elevated ridge of 
sand, near which a number of other Gulls of different kinds were 
fishing, and hovering about in search of what the waves might 
cast up. Every bird, indeed, was busy and employed, excepting 
these two black robbers, who seemed to be quietly resting, quite 
1 Zoologist, vol. iii. p. 880, 
