1876.] MR. H. SAUNDERS ON THE STERCORARIIN.E. 331 



Stercorarius cepphns, Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. i. p. 

 211, pi. 23 (fig. nee descrip.) (1826); B. Ross, Nat. -Hist. Rev. 

 1862, p. 289, Blakiston, Ibis, 1863, p. 152 (Mackenzie River). 



Lestris lessoni, Degl. Mem. Ac. R. Lille, p. (1838); Schinz, Eur. 

 F. p. 392 (1840). 



Lestris cephus, Keys. & Bias. Wirb. Eur. p. 240 (1840); Bp. 

 Consp. Ay. ii. p. 209 (1857). 



Stercorarius longicaudatus, De Selvs-L. F. Belg. p. 156 (1842) ; 

 Degl. Orn. Eur. ii. p. 298 (1849); Newton, B. Greenland, p. 107 

 (1875). 



Stercorarius cephus, Gray, Gen. Birds, iii. 1849, p. 653 ; Schlegel, 

 Mus, P.-B. Lari, p. 49 (1.863); Gray, Hand-List, iii. p. 1 1 (1871). 



"Lestris longicaudatus, Briss.," Thomps. Nat. Hist. Irelaud, iii. 

 399 (1851). 



Lestris hardyi, Bonap. Tab!, d. longipen. Compt. Rend. xlii. 1856, 

 p. 770 ; Consp. Av. ii. p. 210 (1857). 



Stercorarius tjefoni, Coues, Proc. Phil. Acad. 1863, p. 136 ; Dall 

 & Baun. Tr. Chic. Ac. i. p. 304 (1869) (Alaska) ; Coues, Prybilov 

 Isl. (1874); Irby, Orn. Str. Gibralrar, p. 216 (1875). 



Lestris longicaudata, T. v. Heuglin, Ibis, 1872, p. 65 (Xovaya 

 Zemlya). 



In treating of the preceding species I have already shown that 

 Linnseus's description of his L. parasiticus can only apply to this 

 species, which may always be distinguished by its very long central 

 tail-feathers and by having, even in immature plumage, the shafts of 

 only the first and second primaries white, those of the others being 

 dusky. In its adult state, the Long-tailed Skua has also the under 

 tail-coverts, abdomen, and flanks of a sooty brown ; the tarsi also are 

 yellowish olive, whilst in adult S. crepidatus the legs are black. I 

 have seeu but few immature specimens, all birds of the year, obtained 

 on their autumnal migration ; they are of a nearly uniform sooty 

 colour, with the usual pale edgings to the featbers characteristic of the 

 first plumage. This species is found from Novaya Zemlya to Spitz- 

 bergen, and, south of these points, throughout the whole circuit of the 

 arctic regions. Von Middendorff first discovered its breeding-places 

 on the Taimyr and Bogonida, in Siberia ; the late John Wolley found 

 it nesting on the Lapland fells; Sir John Richardson obtained nestlings 

 in Melville Peninsula ; Mr. Bernard Ross observed it at the mouth 

 of the Mackenzie River ; it occurs in the Prybilov Islands ; and Dall 

 and Bannister found it in Alaska, the extent of its recorded range on 

 the Pacific coast. By far the rarest of the family as an autumnal 

 visitant, it ranges along our shores and those of Western Europe as 

 far south on the Straits of Gibraltar and Morocco, beyond which 

 there is no trace of it, whilst on the east coast of America it does not 

 seem to go south of lat. 40° N. I have already pointed out that Mr. 

 Buller's supposed example of this species from New Zealand must be 

 referred to S. crejjidatus. Professor Peters, of Berlin, has kindly in- 

 formed me that the type specimen in that Museum of Lestris hardyi, 

 Bonaparte, has the shafts of all except the first two primaries dusky ; 

 aud on that ground I presume it to be a young bird of this species. 



