STERCORARIID^ — THE SKUAS AND JAEGERS — STERCOKARILS. '6'61 



Caithness, and in all the three grouj^s of the Scottish islands. Professor Newton 

 mentions it as quite as common in Si)itzbergen as anywhere that he has met with it, 

 except the Lofoden Islands, off the coast of Norway. I'arry's Expedition met with it 

 in their journey over the ice, but north of 82° 2'. Dr. Malmgren found it breeding 

 on the small islets near the coast, and once on the main island. It was also very 

 common on Bear Island. Wheelwright mentions it as the most common of the Skuas 

 off the coast of Norway, but he does not believe that either this bird or the Pomarine 

 Jaeger goes far inland to breed, as does the Stercorarius longicaudus. It is given by 

 Dr. Bessels as one of the birds taken in the " Polaris " Expedition. 



It is included by Middendorff among the birds of Eastern Siberia, and is also men- 

 tioned as one of those that go to the farthest north. It is given by Mr. G. Gillett as 

 having been met with by him in Nova Zembla, and is also mentioned by Von Heuglin 

 as having been found in the same locality by his party. It was less common there 

 than were the other Skuas. 



In Iceland — according to Professor Newton — this species is common enough 

 throughout the island, and was known to breed on the moors far inland. Faber says 

 that it arrives in Iceland about the 25th of April, and remains until the middle of 

 September. It inhabits the Arctic sea-coast of America as well as of Asia and 

 Europe during the summer months, or from May to September, migrating in winter 

 to more temperate regions. Numerous examples of this species Avere procured in 

 the various Arctic expeditions on the Melville Peninsula, the North Georgian Islands, 

 Baffin's Bay, and Spitzbergen. In its habits, so far as these are known, it does not 

 appear to be different from the Pomarine. Dr. Reinhardt gives it as one of the 

 resident species of Greenland ; and Dr. Walker, in his Notes on the Voyage of the 

 " Fox," mentions having met with it in entering the Danish port of Frederikshaab. 

 Captain Blakiston received specimens from Hudson's Bay ; and it is said to have been 

 found on the Mackenzie by Mr. Bernard Ross. 



Hearne refers to what is most probably this species as the " Black Gull," and 

 usually known in the Hudson's Bay region as the " ]\Ian-of-War," from its pursuing 

 and taking its prey from the smaller species of Gull known there as the "Black- 

 Head " (Arctic Tern). In size it is said to be much inferior to the Glaucous Gull, 

 and like the latter always makes its nest on islands, or on the margins of lakes and 

 ponds. It is said to lay only two eggs, and its nest to be found at a considerable 

 distance from the sea-coast. The length of its wings is given as very great in pro- 

 portion to that, of the body ; the tail is uniform, and the two middle feathers are 

 four or five inches longer than the rest. The eggs are sought for and eaten both by 

 the Indians and the English ; but the bird is generally rejected. It is quite common 

 both in the spring and fall in the Bay of Fundy and along the coast of Maine. In 

 the winter it is found off the coast of Massachusetts, and thence to the Chesapeake, 

 occurring near the land chiefly in stormy weather. An adult specimen, a female, was 

 shot at Oyster Bay South, and another example, a young male, was shot in October, 

 1842, on Gowannus Bay, Long Island. The latter was flying about near the surface 

 of the water as if in pursuit of fish, though upon dissection nothing of the kind was 

 found. Mr. Giraud does not regard it as at all common on the coast of Long Island, 

 though of more frequent occurrence than the pomarinus. 



Audubon found it more shy and difficult of approach than the pomarinus, its flight 

 equally rapid and protracted, and its habits, in harassing the Terns and smaller 

 Gulls, the same. Dr. Richardson speaks of its breeding in considerable numbers on 

 the Barren Grounds at a distance from the coast, and of its feeding upon the small 

 mollusca, so plentiful in the small lakes of the Fur Countries. 



VOL. II. — 43 



