228 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



"Female: Talcahuano, September, 1879. Eyes dark brown; legs and 

 feet black." (Sharpe, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 17.) 



There appears to be no difference in the color of the sexes ; the plum- 

 age is frequently dull, however, from wear. 



Immature birds are less ruddy above and the areas of chestnut are not so 

 conspicuous, but this color is always a strong characteristic. 



Young birds of the year are similar to the immature, but the chestnut 

 decorations on the mantle are confined to the edges of the feathers, there 

 being no central chestnut streaking. 



"Bill slate-colour; iris black; tarsi and toes slate, with a few lavender 

 streaks." (S. F. Rowland.) 



Geographical Range. Coast of South America, Atlaptic coast from Rio 

 de Janeiro southward to the Straits of Magellan and throughout the Straits. 

 Pacific coast from the Straits of Magellan north to Callao, Peru. 



This Skua was not obtained by the Princeton Expeditions to Pata- 

 gonia. The data for descriptions is based on the material in the British 

 Museum of Natural History and in the Philadelphia Academy of Natural 

 Sciences. 



The habits of the Chilian Skua do not appear to differ radically from 

 their congeners of the North Atlantic. Gates cites a single egg taken at 

 Sen Sive Island, Santa Cruz River, Patagonia, on December 3. He 

 speaks of it "as inseparable from many of the eggs of the Great Skua." 

 M. catarrhastes (Linn.). (Op. cit. ante.) 



"This fine Skua was not uncommon in the Straits of Magellan and 

 Smythe's Channel. Several times four or five birds followed us into our 

 anchorage. They were very wary, and I found that the best way to pro- 

 cure them was to tie a dead Cormorant to a long string and let it drift 

 away from the ship. A Skua would soon discover it and come down to 

 tear it to pieces ; when thus engaged it might be approached without diffi- 

 culty." (M. J. Nicoll, Orn. Jour. Voy. round World, Ibis, Jan. 1904, p. 47.) 



MEGALESTRIS ANTARCTICA (Lesson). 



Port Egmont Hen, Hawksw. Voy. II. p. 283 (1769: Falkland Islands). 

 Lestris catarrhactes, Quoy & Gaim. Voy. Uranie, Zool. p. 137, pi. 38 

 (1824: Falklands). 



