LONG-TAILED SKUA. 683 



ones. In one adult he once saw the remains of a fell- 

 lemming, and in another were those of a small mouse ; but 

 other observers have seen this species hunting systematically 

 for lemmings, and Mr. Seebohm saw it carry off a wounded 

 Dunlin. Its cry is a loud shriek, i-i-i-ah, je-ah, je-oh, jc-oh , 

 and its flight is lighter and more elegant than that of any 

 other member of the genus. 



In the adult bird the base of the bill, including the cere, 

 is dark bluish-brown, the horny, curved point, black ; irides 

 brown ; all the upper part of the head black ; sides and 

 back of the neck white, tinged with straw-yellow, sometimes 

 in the form of a circlet ; back, tertials, wing, and tail-coverts 

 brownish-grey ; primaries and tail-feathers almost black ; 

 chin, throat, and upper part of belly white ; lower part of 

 the belly, the vent, and under tail-coverts, light brownish- 

 grey ; legs lead-colour ; toes and their membranes black, the 

 colour of the legs and feet varying with the age of the bird, 

 and being much spotted in immature specimens. 



The whole length of the specimen described, from the 

 point of the beak to the end of the tail-feather next the 

 central pair, is thirteen inches and a half, the central 

 feathers extending nine inches beyond ; the wing, from the 

 anterior bend to the end of the longest quill-feather, twelve 

 inches ; the tarsus one inch and a half ; the middle toe and 

 the claw rather shorter, or one inch and three-eighths. It 

 is possible that the central rectrices may be somewhat longer 

 in the male than in the female, but otherwise there is no 

 difference in plumage between the sexes.* In the slightly 

 immature bird there is an irregular chest-band of dark 

 brown feathers ; there are some grey-tipped feathers on the 

 hind neck and mantle ; the flanks, under and upper tail- 

 coverts are striated with brown and white ; and so are, in a 

 smaller degree, the under wing-coverts. 



Independently of the difference in measurements, adult 



* Both species of pointed -tailed Skuas, and in fact almost all birds with a 

 similar development, are called ' Bo'suns ' by sailors, because they carry their 

 1 marlin-spike,' the boatswain's emblem of office in the merchant service, as is the 

 whistle in the navr. 



