328 LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS — LONGIPENNES. 



Family STEECORARIID/E. — The Skuas and Jaegers. 



Char. Covering of the maxilla not entire, as in the Larida; the basal half 

 being furnished with a horny cere, the lower edge of which overhangs the nostrils ; 

 toes fully webbed; claws strongly curved; tail more or less graduated, the central 

 pair of rectrices projecting a greater or less distance beyond the rest. 



The Family StercorariidcB is separable from the Laridce chiefly on account of the 

 peculiar bill, which shows a not distant approach in character to that of some forms 

 of the Baptores. The species are all predatory in their nature, the smaller kinds 

 pirating upon the Gulls and other sea-fowl, the larger ones beating aloug the .shores, 

 or even over the land, and preying upon various birds, much in the manner of the 

 Falconidce. Indeed it is said that at Kerguelen Island the Megalestris antarctic its is 

 seldom seen near the water, but keeps strictly to the hind, where it is very destructive 

 to Ducks and other water-fowl. 



The two North American genera may be thus defined : — 



Megalestris. Size large (about equal to Larus argentabus), form robust and powerful ; depth 

 of the bill through the base equal to one half or more of the length of the mandible meas- 

 ured along the side ; tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw ; tail short, the middle 

 rectrices scarcely projecting beyond the rest. 



Stercorarius. Size medium (about that of the medium-sized Gulls, Larus delawarensis and 

 canits), form more graceful and slender ; depth of bill through the base less than one half 

 the length of the mandible, measured as above ; tarsus decidedly longer than the middle 

 toe and claw ; middle rectrices (in lull adult birds) projecting far beyond the rest. 



Genus MEGALESTRIS, Bonaparte. 



Catharacta, Brunn. Om. Bor. 1764, 32 (type, ' '. skua, Brunn.) ; nee Catharactes, Bniss. 1760. 

 Megalestris, Bonap. Cat. Parzudaki, 1850, 11 (type, Larus catarractes, Linn. = Catharacta skua, 



BRUNN.). 

 Buphagus, " Moehr.," Coues, Pr. Phil. Acad. 1863, 124 (same type). 



The characters of this genus have been sufficiently indicated above. Only three species (per- 

 haps more properly geographical races) are known, but one of which (Jlf. skua) belongs to the 

 North American fauna; the other two belonging, one to Chili, the other to the Antarctic seas. 



Megalestris skua. 



THE SKUA GULL. 



Catharacta skua, BniJNN. Om. Bor. 1764, 33. 



Buphagus skua, Coues, Pr. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1863, 125 ; B. N. W. 1S74, 604. 



Stercorarius [Buphagus) skua, Coues, Key, 1872, 309. 



Stercorarius skua, Coues, Check List, 1S73, no. 539 ; ed. 2, 1SS2, no. 764. 



Megalestris skua, Ridgw. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 696. 



Larus catarractes, Linn. S. N. I. 1766, 226. 



Lestris catarractes, Illig. Prodr. 1811, 272. — Nutt. Man. II. 1S34, 312. 



Stercorarius catarractes, Bonap. Consp. II. 1S56, 206. — Lawr. in Band's B. N T . Am. 1858, S3S. — 



Baiud, Cat. N. Am. B. 1S59, no. 652. —Elliot, Illustr. B. Am. II. pi. 56. — Saunders, 



P. Z. S. 1S56, 319. 

 Catarracta fusca, Leacu, Syst. Cat. 1S16, 40. 



