604 BUPHAGUS SKCA, THE SKUA. 



of his genera. Guided by these considerations, in the Proceedings of the Philadelphia 

 Academy, as above, I revived the name Buphagus, and gave it that precedeuce over 

 other appellations to which it is entitled. , 



" Stercorarius, Briss., 1760," is the name wiiich has lately been most frequently em- 

 ployed for tliis subgenus. But this is clearly an error ; for the type of Stercorarius, aa is 

 evident by Brisson's elaborate description, is the Larus parasiticus of LinniEus, and not 

 the catarrhaetes. Regarding this latter species, it is surprising that Brisson should 

 have been so far at fault in his estimation of its affinities as to separate it from its con- 

 geners, and range it with the true Gulls under the name of Larus fuacus. If Slei'corariua 

 is to be used at all, it must be for the group of \!}i\ch parasiticus is typical. 



Catharacta of BrUnnich (1764) has as its type catarrhaetes, though all the other species 

 known to that autiior are included in it. But this name, besides being antedated by 

 Bnphagus, is also anticijiated by Catarraetes of Mciehring, a name applied to a pygopo- 

 dous genus, of which Vria troile is the type, and whicli has been accepted and employed 

 by late writers, as Cassin, Bryant, and others. This is in effect the same word as Briin- 

 nicli's Calharaefa, both having the same root, viz, Kcira and ^r/ym/^c, whence Ka-npijaKryf;, 

 " a robber or despoiler." Brtinnich's spelling of the word might perhaps lead us to 

 suppose it derived from Kaflmijo, "to cleanse or purify:" but this is evidently not the 

 case — the latinization of the word formed from the latter root giving us cathartes, Illi- 

 ger's genus of American Vultures. Therefore, unless we allow a varying orthography 

 of the same word to stand for two different genera, Brtinnich's name must be super- 

 seded. Besides the above spelling we also tiud cataracta, calaractes, caiarracta, calarr- 

 Tiaeta, and catarrluictes. The last is the proper orthography, as is evident from the 

 etymology of the word. 



Lestris of Illiger ( 1611) is based upon parasitica, and, although used subsequently by 

 many authors for the present subgenus, has really no connection with it. 



Mcgalestris, Bonaparte (1856), is based upon the catarrhaetes, and is strictly its only 

 synonym. The choice is therefore between MegalestriH and Buphagus. Of these I pre- 

 fer the latter, which 1 shall continue to use as heretofore. 



BUPHAGUS SKUA, (Briinn.) Coues. 

 The Skua. 



a. sima. 



Catarracfa aldravandi, Will., Orn. 265. 



Slcua hojcri, Ray, Syn. Av. 128. 



Larus fuscus, Biiiss', Orn. vi, 1760, 165.— Scop., Bemerk. Nat. 1770, 90. 



Catarracta fusca, Lkach, Syst. Cat. 1816. 40. 



Larus varius aire skua, Briss., Orn. vi, 1760, 167 (juv.). 



Larus catarraetes, Schaeff., ilus. Orn. 1779, 63, pi. 39. 



Catharacta skua, Bruxn., Oru. Bor. 1764, 33. 



Catarracta skua, Retz., Fu. Suec. 1800, 161.— Bp., Cat. Meth. Ucc. 79; Rev. Crit. 1850, 202. 



Catarraetes skua. Pall., Zoog. E.-A. ii, 1811, 309.— Steph., Gen. Zool. xiii, 1825, 215. 



Calaractes skua, Macgil., Man. ii, 1842, 255. 



Cataracta skua, Bp., List, 183i, 63. 



Lestris skua, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. 1831, 716. 



Buphagus skua, Cotes, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1863, 125; Pr. Ess. Inst, v, 1868, 305. 



Stercorarius (Buphagus) skua, CotJES, Key, 1872, 309. 



Calaractes rulgaris, Fle.m., Brit. Anim. — , 137. 



Larus catarraetes, Lixx,, Syst. ISfat. i, 1766, 226 (based on Will., Ray & Briss., supra; 

 Edw., 149, &c.).— Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1768, 603.— Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, 818. 



Lestris catarraetes, III., Prod. 1811, 272.— Te.mm., llan. 1815, 511 ; ii, 1620, 792 ; iv, 1840, 

 494.— Fab., Prod. Isl. Orn. 1822, 102.— Boie, Lsis, 1822, .562.— .Jen., Man. 1835, 

 260.— Eyt., Cat. Br. B. 51.— Bp., Syn. 1826, No. 304.— Nutt., Man. ii, 1634, 312.— 

 Keys. & Blas., Wirb. Eur. 1840, 239.— Naum., V. D. x, 1840, 470, pi. 270.— SCHL., 

 Ri-v. Crit. 1644, 84. > ^ 1 1 ) 



Lestris catharactes, Bueh.m, Naturg. Eur. Vog. 1823, 739. 



Lestris catharractes, Schixz, Eur. Fn. i, 1840, 387. 



Lestris catarrhaetes, Kaup, Sk. Ent. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 64. 



Stercorarius catarrhaetes, ViEiLL., Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. iv, 1817, 154 ; Fu. Franc. 1838, 

 365.— Gray, Gen. of B. iii, 1849, 6.52; Cat. Br. B. 1863, 227.— Degl., Orn. Eur. 

 ii, 1649, 289.— Blas., J. f. O. 1865, 384. 



Stercorarius catarraetes, Bp., Consp. Av. ii, 1856, 206 ; Tabl. Longip. Compt. Rend. xlii. 

 770.— Lawr., Baird's B. N. A. 1858, 838.— Schl., M. P.-B. iv, 1863, 45.— Elliot! 

 B. N. A. ii, pi. 56. 



Stercorarius calaractes, Selys-L., Fn. Belg. 1642, 155. 



Stercorius catharactes, Des Mors, Trait(S Oiil. 1860, 551. 



