ARCTIC JAGER. 471 



ing to the northern regions, where it is said to breed in groups. Mr 

 Selby, in treating of this bird, says " It breeds upon several of the 

 Orkney and Shetland Isles, and is gregarious during that period; and 

 the situations selected for nidification are the unfrequented heaths at some 

 distance from the shores. The nest is composed of dry grass and mosses, 

 and its two eggs are of a dark oil-green, with irregular blotches of liver- 

 brown. At this season the bird is very courageous, and, like the Com- 

 mon Skua, attacks every intruder upon the limits of its territory, by 

 pouncing and striking at the head with its bill and wings. It also occa- 

 sionally endeavours to divert attention by feigning accidental lameness." 

 Having received eggs of this bird from individuals who had collected 

 them, I may add that they are broadly rounded at the larger end, rather 

 pointed at the smaller, have a smooth shell, and average two inches four- 

 twelfths in length, by one inch and four and a half eighths in breadth. 



M. Temminck, in his Manuel d'Ornithologie, describes the young 

 when about to leave the nest as follows : " Top of the head of a deep 

 grey ; sides and upper part of the neck of a light grey, sprinkled with 

 longitudinal brown spots ; a black spot before the eyes ; lower part of 

 the neck, back, scapulars, small and large wing-coverts, umber-brown, 

 each feather bordered with yellowish-brown, and often with reddish ; 

 lower parts irregularly variegated with deep brown and yellowish-brown 

 on a whitish ground ; tail-coverts and abdomen transversely barred ; 

 quills of the wings and tail blackish, white at their base and on the inner 

 barbs, all terminated with white ; the two outer shafts white ; tail only 

 rounded ; base of the bill yellowish-green, black towards the point ; tarsi 

 bluish-grey ; base of the toes and membranes white, the rest black, hind 

 claw often white." 



In middle age, he says, " all the upper parts are greyish-brown with- 

 out spots ; lower parts of a somewhat lighter tint, and also unspotted ; 

 inner base of the quills and only the upper parts of the tail-feathers pure 

 white, the rest blackish-brown ; the two elongated tail-feathers gi-adually 

 diminish in breadth towards the extremity, which ends in a very attenu- 

 ated point ; bill and feet as in the old individuals." 



Captain James Clark Ross has informed me by letter, that this spe- 

 cies was seen in great numbers during his late voyage towards the Arctic 

 circle; that the Pomarine Lestris was less abundant, and Richardson's 

 very rare. 



