STERCORARIIDiE — THE SKUAS AND JAEGERS — MEGALESTRIS. 329 



Hab. Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, chiefly northward. In America, south to 

 coast of New England (IVIussachusetts ; spec, in U. S. Nat. Mus.). 



Sp. Char. Adult: Prevailing color dull brownish, the interscapulars, scapulars, and wing- 

 coverts striped centrally witli pale cinnamon ; feathers of the head and neck marked with narrow 



mesial streaks of the same ; lower parts mixed reddish cinnamon and grayish brown, in ill-defined 

 stripes laterally, but nearly uniform on the breast and abdomen. Remiges, primary coverts, and 

 alulae brownish dusky, the former white basally ; this white concealed on the secondaries, but form- 

 ing an extensive exposed patch on the primaries. Tail uniform dusky brown. Bill dusky ; iris 

 brown ; legs and feet black. Young: Head, neck, and lower parts uniform grayish brown, the 

 lower surface tinged with cinnamon ; up- 

 per parts darker grayish brown, lightest on 



the back and lesser wing-coverts, where '' ^ ^ 



ver}' indistinctly spotted with rusty cin- 

 namon. Bill and feet brownish. 



Wing, 15.75-16.15 inches (average, 

 15.95) ; culmen, 2.05 ; depth of bill 

 through base, .80 ; tarsus, 2.40-2.70 

 (2.55); middle toe, 2.15-2.45 (2.32). 

 (Three .specimens.) 



Having six specimens before us for 

 comparison, we find the Antarctic repre- 

 sentative 1 of this species to be easily dis- 

 tinguishable, the colors being appreciably 

 different in all, and the measurements 

 all much greater. The series in question 



gives the following as the results of care- ,, , . , 



p , ,^^. Meqalestris skua. 



lul measurements : Wmg, 16.05-16,90 



inches (average, 16.28) ; culmen, 2.20-2.85 (2.37) ; depth of bill through base, .95-1.00 (.98) ; 



1 Megalestris skua ANTARCTICA. — Antarctic Skua. 



Lcstris antarcticiis. Less. Traite, 1831, 606. 



Stcrcorarius antarcticus, Bon a p. Oonsp. II. 1856, 207. 



Buphngus antardicus, CouES, Pr. Ac. Nat. Sci. Philad. 1863, 127. 



Buphagus skua, b. antarcticus, CouES, B. N W. 1874, 605. 

 Hab. Antarctic seas. 

 VOL. II. — 42 



