Skuas and Jaegers 



have won them a reputation among birds similar to that of a pirate among men 

 the lawless rover of the sea who is without compunction and whose hand is 

 against every man." 



By some systematists both Skuas and Jaegers are combined in a single genus 

 under the appellation of Skuas, but they are readily distinguished, the latter being 

 large birds the size of the largest Gulls, while the Jaegers are only equal in dimen- 

 sions to the smallest Gulls. A further mark of distinction is afforded by the 

 two central feathers of the tail, these in the Skuas being only about half an inch 

 longer than the others, whereas in the Jaegers they project from three to nine 

 inches beyond their fellows. 



The Skuas (Megakstris} feed principally upon fish, but they devour other 

 birds, especially the young or such as are sickly or weak, and are also very fond 

 of eggs, and on occasion will eat carrion of various kinds. In feeding, however, 

 they rarely take the trouble to fish for themselves, but, following in the wake of 

 more industrious Terns and smaller Gulls, they keep a watchful eye on them, and 

 no sooner is one observed to have been successful than they at once give chase, 

 and, no matter how fast the frightened bird may fly, the grim pursuer is always 

 there, and at last in sheer despair it disgorges the recently swallowed fish, which 

 the Skua swoops to catch often before it reaches the water. Dr. Kidder, who 

 studied the habits of the Southern Skua (M. antarctica} on Kerguelen Island, was 

 at first deceived by its Hawk-like appearance, "its manner of flight, watchful- 

 ness of the ground over which it flew, and habit of perching in spots command- 

 ing a wide view, all suggesting this impression." In order to ascertain if they 

 would actually kill their own game, he threw toward a pair of them a half- 

 fledged young Petrel as large as an ordinary domestic fowl. It was immediately 

 pounced upon, killed, and partially devoured. 



The nest consists usually of a slight hollow scratched in the ground and 

 rudely lined with a few sticks or bits of grass, or occasionally it is placed on a bare 

 rock. The eggs, two in number, are of an olive-color with numerous spots of 

 brown or chocolate, especially at the larger end. The birds are very artful 

 in concealing the location of the nest or in leading the intruder away from it, 

 but when it is once disclosed, they defend it with a fierceness hardly equaled 

 by any other birds, ravens, eagles, dogs, foxes, and even man being violently 

 assailed, and not rarely put to rout. Dr. Kidder speaks of discovering a nest 

 containing two eggs and was attacked at once by both birds, but after killing 

 the male by a fortunate shot from a revolver and emptying the other chambers 

 uneffectively at the female, "was kept standing nearly twenty minutes, pelting 

 the enraged bird as she swooped down at my head, with the two eggs in plain 

 sight but not daring to pick them up. A lucky throw finally disabled her, and 

 I secured the eggs." 



Four species of Megalestris are known, the Common or Great Skua (M. 

 skua) of the North Atlantic, the Chilean Skua (M. chilensis} of southern South 

 America, the Southern Skua (M. antarctica} of the islands of the Southern Ocean, 

 and Maccormick's Skua (M. maccormicki] of the Antarctic continent. They 

 are all largely solitary in their habits, each following a flock of Gulls or Terns. 



