226 STERCOKABIID^;. 



The ground is of a greyish-buff colour, and this is spotted and 

 blotched with pale yellowish brown and underlying pale purple. 

 It measures 2-9 by 2-05. 



1. Sea Lion Island, River Sta. Cruz, Saunders Coll. 

 Patagonia, 3rd Dec. (J. M. C). 



Megalestris antarctica (Less.). 

 (Plate XVIII. fig. 5.) 



Megalestris antarctica, Gould, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 98 ; Saunders, Cat. Birds 

 B. M. xxv. p. 319 (1896) ; Sharpe, Hand-l. i. p. 144 (1899) ; Hall, 

 Ibis, 1900, p. 8. 



Lestris antarctica, Abbott, Ibis, 1861, p. 165. 



Lestris catarractes, Travers, Trans. New Zeal. Inst. v. p. 218 (1872). 



Stercorarius antarcticus, Sharpe, Phil. Trans. 168. p. 109 (1879) ; 

 Saunders, Zool. l Challenger' Exped. ii. pt. viii. p. 139 (1880) ; Sclater, 

 t. c. p. 151 (1880) ; Butter, Birds New Zeal. 2nd ed. ii. p. 63 (1888). 



The eggs of the Southern Skua are not distinguishable from the 

 eggs of the Great Skua. Those in the Collection measure from 

 2-6 to 3-05 in length, and from 1-95 to 2-2 in breadth. 



2. Falkland Islands. Voy. H.M.S. 'Challenger.' 



2. Falkland Islands (C. C. Abbott). Salvin-Godinan Coll. 



4. Nightingale Island, Tristan Voy. H.M.S. ' Challenger.' 



d'Acimha, Oct. 



1. Crozet Islands (E. L. Layard). E. L. Layard, Esq. [P.]. 



1. Crozet Islands (Capt. Armson). Saunders Coll. 



4. Kerguelen Island (A. E. Eaton}. Royal Society [P.]. 



Megalestris maccormicki (Saunders). 



Megalestris maccormicki, Saunders, Cat. Birds B. M. xxv. p. 321 (1896); 



Sharpe, Hand-l. i. p. 144 (1899). 

 Lestris, Borchgr. Geoar. Journ. xvi. p. 403 (1900). 



The eggs of McCormick's Skua are quite of the same type as 

 those of M. catarrhactes and M. antarctica, and as variable in color- 

 ation. The series contains, however, three specimens which are ab- 

 normal in colour, the ground being a clear greenish blue, sparingly 

 marked at the large end only with a few smears and blotches of 

 yellowish brown. Twenty-six examples measure from 2'58 to 3'1 

 in length and from 1/88 to 2-05 in breadth. Judging from the 

 numbers recorded on the eggs, they all appear to have been taken 

 in pairs. 



26. Cape Adare, Antarctic Ocean Sir George Newnes, Bart., 



(< Southern Cross ' Exped.\ M.P. 



