The terrestrial mammals and birds of North-East Greenland. 



177 



The chicks, which soon after the hatching leave the nest, seem 

 during the first days to be principally fed with insects — in the 

 gullet of a newly hatched bird I found a crane-fly {Tipiila) — but 

 they are even when quite young able to eat lemmings, which the 

 parents hunt, eat and afterwards disgorge before them. 



The young ones grow very quickly. 



It is a well-known fact, that the young of this Skua appear 

 before the first moult in two colour varieties: a pale and a dark. 

 The pale variety seems to occur somewhat more frequently than 

 the dark. 



The difference in colour can be seen already on the downy young. 



Though the two varieties may approach very near to each other, 

 I never found quite intermediate specimens. Both types may be 

 found in one clutch. 



Fig. 17. Buffon's Skua near the tent. 



By the grown up young ones the difference in colour will 

 especially be promiment on the head, hind neck and the fore-part 

 of the back. Except in colour no external difference was to be seen 

 in the youngs. 



The peculiar unsociability of this Skua in the breeding season, 

 which causes the couples to live so scattered as mentioned before, 

 the striking appearance and size of the bird together with its pene- 

 trating voice make a singular effect upon the observer, and more than 

 any other animal this bird gives character to the fauna of these 

 lonely regions. In summer it puts in an appearance everywhere. 



Now it will be resting immovable upon its stone lurking and 

 spying, and then it will upon rapidly flapping wings watch over a 

 newly scraped lemming hole. In one moment it laments with 

 short anxious cries at the nest and a moment after it assails 



XLV. 12 



