SKUAS 59 



primaries. Beak and legs black. The brown of the upper 

 parts streaked chiefly buff or rufous. Under-parts rufous with 

 paler streaks, noticeable on the flanks. 



Nest. On open vegetation-covered slopes near the sea. A 

 depression lined more or less with dry grass, heather, feathers, 

 &c. Species breeds in colonies. 



Eggs. Usually 2. Shades of olive-brown or green, spotted 

 and blotched with brown and ash-brown. Av. size, 2'73 x 1*93 

 in. Laying begins in mid-May. One brood. 



117. Arctic-skua, Richardson's skua, shooi [Stercorarius 

 parasiticus (Linnaeus) ; Stercorarius crepidatus (Gmelin)]. Breeds 

 in N. and W. Scotland. Elsewhere a winter visitor. Rare on 

 south coast. 



Bird. Length 20 in. Distinguished from the preceding by 

 its smaller body, shorter wings (13 as 

 against 16 in.), and long pointed central 

 tail-feathers (7-8 in. long). It may be 

 distinguished from the rarer long-tailed 

 or B'uffon's skua by having all the shafts 

 of the primaries white, instead of only 

 the two outer on each side. Coloration ^^ 7^ 



of plumage varies greatly, but there are 



two marked types, a light and a dark with intermediate 

 varieties. The dark has the plumage mostly sooty-brown. 

 The light type has the under-parts and sides of the neck 

 whitish or creamy-white, with upper-parts brown. A con- 

 spicuous yellowish tinge is in nearly all cases present on the 

 sides of the neck and head. Legs black. 



Nest. Vegetation-covered slopes, or moorland, usually near 

 the sea. A depression, with scanty 

 lining of rough grass, heather, &c. 

 Species breeds in colonies. 



Eggs. Usually 2. Much like those 

 of the great-skua, but smaller. Av. 

 size, 2-18 x 1'61 in. Laying begins 

 end May to early June. One brood. 



(4) Family : (Edicnemidce Stone- 

 curlews 



118. Stone-curlew, Thick-knee, 

 Norfolk-plover, great-plover. [(Edic- 



nemus cedicnemus (Linnaeus) ; (Edic- Fig. 72. 



nemus scolopax (S. G. Gmelin)]. Local 



summer visitor to south and east England. Casual visitor 

 to other parts. A few winter in S.W. England. 



Bird. Length 16 in. Distinguished by the large yellow 



