414 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



dark brown, the primaries with the shafts and bases of the feathers 

 white. 



The young are uniform sooty brown, each feather edged pale ; and the 

 lower abdomen, vent and under tail- coverts are broadly barred with 

 alternate bands of brown and white, and the tips of the feathers are 

 rufescent. 



Bill dark horn, bluish at the base; iris brown; legs blackish. 

 (Dresser.) 



Length about 21 inches, tail about 8, the central pair of feathers pro- 

 jecting beyond the others rather more than 2 inches, wing 14, tarsus 2, 

 bill from gape 2'4. 



A specimen of the Pomatorhine Skua was obtained by Col. Tickell 

 from some boys who had killed it in a field near Moulmein. It was 

 adult, and there is no reason to doubt Col. Tickell's identification of the 

 bird. 



It is an inhabitant of the northern portions of Europe, Asia and 

 America, wandering at times far south, for specimens have been obtained 

 at the Cape of Good Hope and at Cape York in Australia. 



The Skuas are of rapacious habits, living chiefly by robbing other sea- 

 birds of their prey. They have comparatively little white on their 

 plumage^ the prevailing colour being dark brown ; but many of the species, 

 when adult, have yellow necks. 



S. antarcticus is said to have occurred in Ceylon ; but Major Legge 

 treats it as a doubtful visitor to that island. 



Subfamily LABIN.E. 



Genus LA11US, Linn. 



754. LARUS ICHTHYAETUS. 



THE GREAT BLACK-HEADED GULL. 



Larus ichthyaetus, Pall. Reis. Russ. Reichs, ii. p. 713 ; Dresser, Birds Eui\ 

 viii. p. 369, pi. ; Hume, S. F. i. p. 276 ; EL B. JBurm. p. 1(32 ; Saunders, P. Z. & 

 1878, p. 198 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 115 ; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1040 ; Oates, 

 S. F. x. p. 246. Kroikocephalus ichthyaetus, Jerd. B. 2nd. iii. p. 831. 



Description. Summer plumaye. The whole head and upper neck black j 

 the feathers on the eyelids white ; remainder of the neck, the whole lower 



