LONG-TAILED SKUA 465 



co. Waterford (Thompson). The most recent capture from 

 inland counties appears to be that of an immature bird 

 taken in co. Armagh, in August, 1898; while Mr. Barrington 

 received "a beautiful adult specimen " from Clare Island, co. 

 Mayo, on June 14th, 1906 (' Irish Naturalist,' 1906, p. 193). 



Flight. This species is as swift and buoyant on the 

 wing as its larger congeners, and moves through the air 

 gracefully. When in pursuit, its flight is glancing, indeed 

 when pressed with hunger it will precipitate itself with 

 a great swoop into a flock of Gulls, and singling one 

 out, will follow it untiringly until its food is disgorged. 



Food. The smaller Gulls and Terns are swiftly pursued 

 until they are forced to eject the contents of their stomachs, 

 which the Skua greedily swallows. But away from the 

 tide, other than sea-birds are not exempt from this tor- 

 mentor. For example an immature Long-tailed Skua was 

 shot on one of the co. Waterford mountains, on October 

 14th, 1881, when endeavouring to pounce like a Falcon on 

 Golden Plovers (Ussher). 



Lemmings are perhaps the favourite diet, and the bird 

 may be found breeding abundantly where an ample supply 

 of these little animals is to be had. But many forms of 

 invertebrate creatures are also devoured. Thus Mr. Saxby 

 found a few small beetles and vegetable matter like tops 

 of heather in the stomach of an adult male in full plumage, 

 obtained on May 24th, 1900, in the Shetlands (' Zoologist,' 

 1900, p. 281). 



Stevenson recalls a male shot at Breydon in October, 

 1890, which vomited several live earthworms (' Birds of 

 Norfolk '). In addition birds, crabs, shrimps, and other 

 marine creatures are consumed, while crowberries are eaten 

 in summer by the young. 



Voice. The note is rather loud and shrieking and is 

 chiefly heard when the nesting-preserves are trespassed 

 upon. 



Nest. The nest is represented by a mere shallow depres- 

 sion on the heath-clad moor-land. The eggs, two in number, 

 have a rather olivaceous ground-tint, passing to various 

 shades of green, blotched and scrolled with darker markings. 



At its nesting-haunts this species shows great courage. 

 It will approach with rapidly-beating pinions, and almost 

 dash into the face of man, dog, or other trespasser. 



Geographical distribution. This Skua, circumpolar in 

 its breeding-range, confines itself to the higher latitudes 

 30 



