398 TEN YEABS IN SWEDEN. 



Breeds on most of these coasts as far up as the North 

 Cape, but in the South is more common in the Baltic than 

 in the Cattegat and North Sea. Breeds even sparingly on 

 the Wener, as well as the next. 



237. L. Fuscus, L. Sill Mase. The Lesser Black-backed 



GuU. D. F. 



Mantle black ; legs yellow ; beak as in the last, but 

 smaller ; wings the same, but more than 2 in. longer than 

 the tail ; length about 21 in. ; beak from the gape 3 in.,- 

 tarsus 2-f- in. ; tail 6 in., rather rounded. 

 The difference in size between the sexes of this species is 

 remarkable ; the female is often two inches shorter than the 

 male. Commoner than the last, and breeds as far up as 

 the North Cape, as well as inland in the midland districts. 



G-en. Lestris. Skuas. 



Have much the character of the gulls, but the upper 

 mandible of the beak is furnished with a membranous bony 

 cere reaching from the base to about two-thirds of its 

 length ; at the end of this is placed the bent tip, which 

 is distinct. Nostrils pierced just behind the tip; under 

 mandible as in the gulls, but much more hooked ; wings 

 pointed, first feather longest ; tail with twelve feathers, 

 of which the two middle ones are always more or less 

 lengthened. 



Tail rounder, middle feathers projecting but little. 



238. LESTEIS CATAREHACTES, 111. Stora Labben. The Com- 



mon Skua. D. F. 



The three middle tail feathers of an even breadth to the 

 end ; tarsus 2-f ; the outer wing feathers from the root 

 to the middle white, which forms a white spot on the 

 dark wing. Length about 23 in. (in these species the 

 length is reckoned to the ends of the feathers next to 

 the middle pointed ones), and about the size of the 

 herring gull ; beak from gape 2-|- in. ; middle tail 

 feathers 6 in. ; side feathers 54- in. Colour, dark brown, 



