150 JAEGERS AND SKUAS 



ing along the surface of the water, as if unable to fly, and then diving 

 through the crest of an advancing wave; it swims rather deep and 

 very much 'by the stern.' . . ." (Saunders). 



"Its wings are small, but they are moved almost as rapidly as a 

 Hummingbird's, and propel the bird through the air with great rapid- 

 ity. This bird is an expert diver too, and, though awkward on land, 

 swims with ease and grace. . . ." (Chamberlain). 



1900-02. FIGGINS, J. D., Abst. Proc. Linn. Soc., 61-88 (use of, for food). 



II. ORDER LONGIPENNES. LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS 



4. FAMILY STERCORARIID^E. JAEGERS AND SKUAS. (Fig. 23a.) 



Three of the seven known members of this family are birds of Ant- 

 arctic seas; the remaining four nest in the northern parts of the North- 

 ern Hemisphere, but at other seasons are widely distributed. Except 

 when nesting, they are maritime, but at times are found on large bodies 

 of water inland. 



The Jaegers are the pirates among birds of the high seas. With 

 strong and dashing flight, they successfully pursue Gulls and Terns, 

 forcing them to disgorge their prey. They carry their predaceous 

 habits to their nesting-grounds on the tundras, where they feed upon 

 the young of other birds and even upon mice and lemmings. 



K*EY TO THE SPECIES 



A. Bill over 1*35; tarsus over 1*70; middle tail-feathers never pointed. 



a. Bill over 1'90 35. SKUA. 



b. Bill under 1'90 36. POMARINE JAEGER. 



B. Bill under 1*35; tarsus under 1'70; middle tail-feathers generally 



pointed. 



a. Scaly shield on the bill longer than the distance from its end to the tip 



of the bill 37. PARASITIC JAEGER. 



b. Scaly shield on the bill shorter than the distance from its end to the tip 



of the bill 38. LONG-TAILED JAEGER, 



35. Megalestris skua (Brunn.). SKUA. Ads. Upperparts, tail, and 

 wings dark, dirty brown; shafts of the wing and tail-feathers white, except 

 at the tip ; outer wing-feathers with inner vanes white at the base ; under- 

 parts somewhat lighter; neck more or less streaked with whitish. Int. 

 "Similar to adult, but more distinctly streaked with yellowish, especially 

 on the head and neck." L., 22'00; W., 15'91; Tar., 2'63; B., 2'06 (Ridgw.). 



Range. Coasts and islands of the n. Atlantic. Breeds on Lady Franklin 

 Island (Hudson Strait), in Iceland, ori the Faroe arid Shetland islands; 

 winters on fishing banks off N. F. and N. S.; casually to L. I., in Europe s. 

 to Gibraltar. 



Long Island, one record. 



Nest, of grass, on the ground. Eggs, 2, pale olive-brown or greenish 

 gray spotted with chocolate, 2' 80 x 1'90. Date, Greenland, May 5. 



36. Stercorarius pomarinus (Temm.}. POMARINE JAEGER. Ads. 

 light phase. Very similar in color to corresponding phase of S. parasiticus, 



