COMMON SKUA. 



NATATORES. 



481 

 LARID^E. 



THE COMMON SKUA. 



Larus catarractes. Skua Gull, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. ii. p. 174. 



„ ,, ,, ,, Mont. Ornitb. Diet. 



„ ,, „ ,, Bewick, Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 247. 



Cataractes vulgaris. Common Skua, Flem. Brit. An. p. 137. 



,, „ „ ,, Selby, Brit. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 514. 



Lestris cataractes, ,, ,, Jenvns, Brit. Vert. p. 280. 



„ catarractes. The „ Gould, Birds of Europe, pt. iii. 



,, ,, Stercoraire cataracte, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. vol. ii. p. 792. 



Lestris. Generic Characters. — Bill strong, hard, cylindrical, formed for 

 cutting ; compressed, curved, and hooked at the point ; base of the upper man- 

 dible 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 ; 



VOL. III. 2 I 



