BUPHAGUS SKUA, THE SKUA. 605 



Stercorarius pomarintts, Vieiix., Gal. Ois. ii, 1334, 220, nee Auct. 

 Larua Iceeask, Lath., lud. Orn. ii, 1790, 818. 



b. antarcticus.* 



Lestris catarrartea, QuoT et G.U5I.. Voy. Uran. Ois. 3S. 



Sli-rcorariiis caiai-racles. ScHi.., Mus. P.-B. iv, 1863, Lari, p. -15. 



Lestris aviarciieus, L,T.i^s., It. Oru. 1*51, 606.— ScL., P. Z. S. 1-60, 390.— Abhott, Ibis, 



1861, 165.— ScL. & Salv., Ibis, l-f09, 284 ; P. Z. S. 1871, 579.— Phil, i Lands., 



Cat. At. Chili, 47.— HuTTOX, B. X. Z. lo71, 39. 

 Stercorarius antarcdeiis, Bf., CoDSp. ii, 185G, 207. — Pelz., Orn. ^0Tara, 150. 

 Buphagm antarcticus, Cov^^, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1863, l.i7. 



DiAG. B. maximus, robtistissimus, tarso hreriore digitis mediis cum ungue ; rectriciius mediis 

 lalis rijr ultra, ccpteras porrectis. rLOsIri lougit. 2ipoll, Aug. 



Sal). — .Seas and sea-coasts of tbe Xortbem Hemispheie, chiefly in the more arctic 

 regions. Var. antarcticus, Southern seas. 



Adult, breeding plumage. — Bill about as long as or a little shorter than the head, shorter 

 than the tarsus, ri,bust, somewhat broader than high at the base, compressed from the 

 middle, its sides bulging; culmeu broad, flattened, rery slightly concave, or nearly 

 straight on the ceral portion, the concavity increased by the great convexity of the 

 unguis, which rises higher than the ceral portion ; unguis smooth, broad, rounded, 

 so decurved that the apex overhangs the tip of the lower mandible nearly perpendic- 

 ularly. Outline of rami and gonys both slightly concave, the former very loug. Emi- 

 nentia symphysis well marked. Divarication of rami very slight. Tomia of upper 

 mandible sinuate, at first ascending, then deflected, then again gradually ascending 

 to beyond tbe nostrils, where it curves sharply downward. Ceral longer than the 

 ungual portion of the bill, its anterior extremity projecting further on the sides than 

 on the culmen, so that a <^-shaped recess is formed ; its inferior edge curving gradu- 

 ally upward from the base, to give passage to the nostrils; provided at the base with 

 several striae. Nostrils lateral, pervious, somewhat club-shaped, broadest anteriorly ; 

 a sulcus on the unguis leads into them from before. Several oblique striae on the 

 inferior maxilla. Feathers extend on the sides of the superior mandible in a rather 

 a<;ute angle, leaving a deep recess on the culmen ; retreating on the sides of the bill 

 so nearly parallel with the tomia as to leave the edges of the superior mandible ex- 

 posed nearly to the angle of the mouth. Their extent on the lower madible is less, but 

 is broader, and n ith a ronnded extremity. Between the rami the feathers reach two- 

 thirds the way to the symphysis, the remainder being naked intearumeut. Eye of 

 moderate dimensions, placed directly over the angle of the mouth. Wings rather short 

 for the subfamily ; the primaries regularly graduated, very broad, with rounded apices ; 

 rachis stiff and strong ; secondaries short, broad, flexible, with broad rounded tii)s, 

 formed entirely by the inner web. Tertials in the folded wing ending about 3^ inches 

 from apex of first primary. Tail short, broad, strong, even, or nearly so; the feathers 

 rather broad, with square, almost truncated extremities. Central pair much the same 

 in shape as the lateral ; of equal breadth, projecting one or two inches. Superior and 

 inferior tectrices very long and thick, the latter reaching ciuite to the end of the taiL 

 Feet large and strong ; the tarsi as long as the middle toe without the claw. TibiiE 

 nude for nearly an inch. That part of the tibia which is bare, the tibio-tarsal articn- 

 latiou aU around, and the sides and posterior aspects of the tarsus, and both surfaces 

 of the webs, covered with small, irregular polyhedral plates ; these plates largest and 

 most regular (being hexagonal) on the sides of the tarsus ; very small and numerous 

 on the webs ; elevated, rough, and conical on the joints and inner surfaces of tbe toes. 

 Anteriorly the tarsus and toes are covered with imbricated scutella, regular and 

 transverse on the toes, but with exceedingly oblique edges ou the tarsus, on the upper 

 third of which they bifurcate into two rows. Toes very long; middle longest ; outer 

 but little less ; inner only two-thirds the middle ; hallux exceedingly abbreviated. 

 Claws all large, strong, much arched, very acute, the middle one dilated on its inner 

 edge, but not serrated. Membranes long, broad, full, uuincised. Dorsal feathers broad, 

 rounded, rigid, closely imbricated, not very thick. Inferiorly the plumage is exceed- 

 ingly long, thick, compact, almost moUipilose. Latero-nuchal feathers elongated, 

 rigid, with long disconnected fibrillae. Above blackish-brown, more or less variegated 

 with chestnut and whitish ; each feather being dark-colored, with a spot of chestnut 

 toward its extremity, which in turn fades into whitish along the shaft toward the tip 

 of each feather. On the latero-nuchal region and across the throat tbe chestnut light- 

 ens into a decided reddish-yellow, the white being as a well-defined, narrow, longitud- 

 inal streak on each feather. The crown, post-ocular, and mental region have but little 

 whitish. Inferiorly the plumage is of a blended fusco-rufous, lighter than ou the 

 dorsum, with a peculiar indefinite plumbeous shade. The wings and tail are black- 



* The only discrepancy I find, in examination of several from Southern seas, is the 

 shorter, stouter, and more obtuse bUl. 



