POMARINE SKUA. 217 



This species is described by Temminck, who says 

 that it is about nineteen inches in length : all the 

 upper parts are brown-bay, without spots : the under 

 parts are also brown, but paler and without spots : 

 the inner base of the quills, and the upper part only of 

 the tail-feathers, are pure white, the rest is blackish- 

 brown ; the shafts of the quills are white : the beak 

 is bluish : the irides are bright yellow : the tarsi are 

 leaden-blue : the base of the toes and the membrane 

 are whitish ; the rest is black : the hinder claw is 

 pure white. The young have the head and neck 

 dull brown, with the ends of the feathers bordered 

 with lighter brown : before the eyes is a black space : 

 the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts are deep brown ; 

 each feather tipped with a lunule of bright red : the 

 breast, belly, and sides are ashy-brown, marked on 

 the middle of the feathers with spots and zigzags of 

 red : the rump, vent, and tail-coverts are rayed with 

 broad bands of blackish and red : the base of the beak 

 is greenish, the tip black. 



Inhabits the regions of the Arctic Circle ; and 

 sometimes appears on the sea-coasts of Holland and 

 France: rarely in the interior of the country, and 

 then only during violent storms of wind. 



