212 birds of illinois. 



Genus MEGALESTRIS Bonaparte.. 



Cat/iaracta Beunn. Orn. Bor. 1764, 32. Type, C. skua Bbunn. Ufec Gatarractes Bbiss. 

 1760.) 



Megalestris Bonap. Cat. Parzudaki, 1856, 11. Type, Larus catarractes Likn. = Gatha- 

 raeta skua Bbunn. 



Buphagus "Moehb." Coues. Proo. Aoad. Nat. Sci. Fhila. 1863, 124. Same type. 



Gbn. Ohab. Size large (about equal to Lams argtntatus); form robust and 

 powerful; deptl of bill through the base equal to or exceeding half the length .of the 

 mandible, measured along the side; tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw; tail short, 

 the middle pair of feathers scarcely projecting beyond the rest. General color nearly 

 uniform grayish brown or sooty, usually indistinctly streaked with light rusty, or cin- 

 namon, especially around neck and on back: auills whitish at base. 



Bfesides the northern M. shua, two other species, or^ sub spe- 

 cies, M. omtofctiam (Less.) and M. chilensis (Bonap.) are known, 

 the geographical ranges of which are indicated by their specific 

 names. 



Megalestris skua (Briinn.) 



SKUA. 

 Popular synonyms. Skua Gull: Gull-chaser; Sea-hen. 



Gatharacta skua BsiiNK. Orn. Bor. 1764, 33. 



Buphagus skua CouBS, Proo. Aead. Nat. Sol. Phila. 1863, 125; B. N. W. 1874, 604. 



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



Steroorarius skua CouES,Check Jjist, 1873, No. 5S9;2d ed. 1882, No. 764. 



Megalestris skua Kidgw. Proc. TJ. S. Nat. Mus. iU, 1880,208; Nom. N. Am. b1 1881, No. 696; 

 Man. N. Am. B. 1887. 21.— B. B. & E. Water B. N. Am. B. ii, 1884, 328.-A. 0. U. 

 Cheek List, 1886, No. 35. 

 Larus catarractes Linn. S. N. ed. 12, i, 1766, 226. 



Lestris catarractes IIXIG. Prodr. 1811, 272.— Nutt. Man. ii, 1834, 312. 



Stercorarius catarractes Bonap. Consp. ii, 1866, 206.— Lawe. in Baird's B. N. Am. 

 1858, 838— Baibd, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 652.— Elliot, Umst B. Am. ii, 1869, pi. 56.— 

 Saundebs, p. Z. S. 1876, 319. 

 Oatarraotes fusca Leach, Syst. Cat. 1816, 40. 



Hab. Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, chiefly on the eastern side, where 

 south as far as Spain in winter. On the American side, south, in winter, to coast of 

 Massachusetts, Long Island, and even to North Carolina. Accidental in Illinois. Coast of 

 Oallfornia.* 



Sp. Chae. Adult: Prevailing color dull brownish, the Interscapuleirs, scapulars, 

 and wing-coverts marked with median streaks of pale cinnamon; feathers of head and 

 neck with similar but narrower streaks; lower parts mixed cinnamon and grayish 

 brown, nearly uniform on breast and belly, but forming indistinct stripes on sides and 

 flanks. Eemiges, primary-coverts, and alulEB brownish dusky, the first white at the 

 base, this white concealed on secondaries, but showing as a distinct patch on the pri- 

 maries. Tail uniform dusky. Bill dusky; iris brown; legs and feet black. Young: Head, 

 neck, and lower parts plain grayish brown, the latter tinged with cinnamon; upper parts 

 dark grayish brown, palest on back and lesser wing-coverts, where indistinctly spotted 

 with ruoty cinnamon. Bill and feet brownish. Downy young: "Covered with soft, close, 

 uniform brownish or cinnamon-gray down; rather darker in color on the upper parts 

 than on the under surface of the body." (Deessbb.) 



Length, about 22.00; extent, 54.00; wing, 16.76-16.16; ;exposed oulmen, about 2.05; depth 

 of bill at base, .80; tarsus, 2.40-2.70; middle toe, 2,16-2.46. 



* California examples may be the Pacific South- American Jf. chilensis. 



