THE POMATORHINE SKUA. 413 



coast, Dr. Armstrong in the Trrawaddy Delta, and Mr. Blyth received it 

 from Arrakan. Near the Sittang and the adjacent plains it is far from 

 uncommon. 



It occurs all over Europe, Africa and Asia, extending on the south-east 

 to Cochin China and down the Malay peninsula, where it meets N. cyanopus, 

 a species diffused through Eastern Asia from Japan to Australia, and differ- 

 ing from N. arquatus in having the rump and upper tail-coverts rufous- 

 grey or brown strongly barred with dark brown. 



The Curlew is a winter visitor to Burmah, retiring in the spring to 

 northern climates to breed. It is usually seen lone, and is extremely wary 

 and difficult to approach. 



Order XV. GAVI-ZE. 



Family LARID.E. 



Subfamily STERCORARIIN.E. 



Genus STERCORARIUS, Briss. 



753. STERCORARIUS POMATORHINUS. 



THE POMATORHINE SKUA. 



Lestris pomarinus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. p. 514. Catarracta pomarina, Tu-h. 

 J. A. S. 1>. xxviii. p. 410. Catarractes pomarhinus, BL Itri*, 1850, p. 464. 

 Lestris pomatorhinus, Bl. B. Burm. p. 103. Stercorarius pomatorhinus, 

 Samdersj P. Z. S. 1870, p. 324 ; Dresser, Birds Eur. viii. p. 463, pi. : Hume # 

 Dav. S. F. vi. p. 490 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 115. 



Description. Adult. Forehead, crown, nape, sides of the face and cheeks 

 dark brown chin, throat, sides of the head from the eyes backwards, the 

 whole neck and entire lower plumage, except the vent and under tail- 

 coverts, white ; the sides and back of the neck tinged with yellow ; the 

 breast streaked sparingly with brown ; the sides of the body blotched with 

 brown ; the vent, under tail-coverts and under wing-coverts brown, the 

 two former dashed in places witli white ; upper plumage, wings and tail 



