296 A HANDBOOK OF EUROPEAN BIRDS. 
beyond rest of primaries) shafts of all primary feathers 
white ; beneath white, shaded on sides of body, lower abdomen 
and under tail-coverts with brownish-grey ; bill slate-grey, black 
at tip; legs and feet black; irides hazel. Length 20 to 21 
inches; culmen 1°2; wing 7? 2077-75; tail 8:9; tarsus 1°75. 
Adult (dark form): Plumage almost uniform sooty-brown 
throughout, a trifle paler beneath ; neck-feathers washed with 
yellowish. 
Young after first moult: Top of head and neck pale 
brown streaked with dark brown; rest of upper parts dark 
brown ; most of the feathers tipped with whitish- or wood- 
brown ; shafts of primaries white as in adults, beneath dull 
wood: brown, mottled and transversely barred with umber- 
brown ; basal portion of feet yellow, otherwise black. 
Immature Birds: May always be distinguished from 
those of S. parasiticus by their uniformly white primary shafts - 
and black legs. 
Distribution: Breeds in the Arctic and Sub-Arctic regions 
of both hemispheres (in Europe down to the Orkneys). Fre- 
quents the European and African coasts in winter, and has 
occurred as far south as New Zealand and in the South Atlantic 
to Rio de Janeiro. 
Habitat: The sea-coast, or moors in the neighbourhood. 
BUFFON’S SKUA. 
Stercorarius parasiticus (Zzzz.). 
Adult: Crown and nape blackish; neck white, washed 
with yellow; upper parts generally slaty-grey: central tait- 
feathers 9 inches longer than the others; shafts of outermost 
pair of primaries only pure white ; beneath white, shading into 
dull grey on sides of bady and lower abdomen ; throat washed 
with yellow ; bill brownish at base ; black at tip ; ; legs yellowish- 
olive ; feet black ; irides brown. Length 21 to 22 inches; 
culmen 1°15; wing rr75 to 12; tail 13; tarsus 1£°5. 
Young: Closely resemble the young of S. crepidatus, but 
may always be distinguished by their pale legs and dusky 
inner primary shafts. 
