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ashy brown band across the breast, or else with the underparts down to the vent white ; but in some 

 localities the dark brown almost uniformly plumaged bird is not uncommon. In my own collection I 

 have the following forms, viz. : — The ordinary form with the underparts white from Iceland, Greenland, 

 Labrador, N.W. America, and North Russia; the same form with the breast strongly washed with 

 ashy brown from Greenland, the Fseroes, and N. America ; and the almost uniform brown form from 

 the Faeroes, Greenland, Archangel, and North America. One rather interesting specimen from 

 Greenland is passing from the mottled immature dress to the dark brown plumage, being dark brown, 

 except on the sides of the neck, where there are ochreous or yellowish white feathers, and on the wings 

 and underparts there are remains of the light mottled immature plumage. As a rule, it would appear 

 that in more northern latitudes the light-coloured form predominates, whereas in the breeding-places 

 situated further south the dark form is the more numerous. Mr. Dunn (Orn. Guide to Ork. & Shetl. 

 p. 115) says, " there is a great variety in the plumage of this bird, which, in my belief, does not depend 

 upon either age or sex. In fact, in several pairs which I procured it was impossible to tell from out- 

 ward appearance the sex to which each belonged ; and that this difference does not depend upon age, is 

 proved by the circumstance of my having frequently taken the full-fledged young birds of a dark brown 

 colour, the parents of which were white-breasted, and, on the contrary, light-coloured young birds from 

 dark-coloured parents; the light- coloured birds, however, are not so numerous as the dark ones. 

 Difference of colour appears to have no effect on their associating together in the breeding-season ; they 

 mix indiscriminately. I have seen instances of two of these birds pairing together, the one dark brown 

 the other much lighter with a white breast ; two both light brown ; and again two both dark brown." 

 The colour of the legs varies much according to age. In the very young bird they are white with a 

 lead-blue tinge, or pale lead-blue ; when a little older they become rather more blue in tinge, and the 

 fore parts of the feet are lead-blackish ; and by degrees this latter colour gains ground, until in the old 

 bird the legs are entirely blackish. 



The range of this Skua extends not only over the northern portion of both continents, but it is 

 met with as far south in Africa as the Cape of Good Hope, and in Asia as the coast of Hindustan. 

 In Great Britain it is not uncommon on different parts of the coast in winter, but only breeds 

 in the northern portions of Scotland. It appears to be somewhat rare on some parts of our south 

 coast ; and Mr. Mansel-Pleydell says that it is but seldom seen off the Dorset coast. Mr. Cecil 

 Smith informs me, " it is occasionally met with in Somersetshire, but not so frequently as in the 

 neighbouring county of Devon. I have one killed on the Barnstaple river, about the 19th of 

 October, which, perhaps, may be worth mentioning, as it is in a rather peculiar state of plumage : 

 it is a young bird, but not a very young one, as the two central tail-feathers project nearly as 

 much as in an adult bird ; the upper parts are generally brown, with a few much darker feathers 

 appearing here and there ; these are apparently new feathers after the moult, and are tipped with 

 light yellowish brown ; the underparts are greyish, but there are some darker feathers here as in 

 the upper parts ; altogether these darker feathers with their light margins give the bird a very 

 peculiar mottled appearance." On the east coast it appears to be more frequently met with ; and 

 Mr. Cordeaux says that it visits the coast of Yorkshire regularly in the autumn, and is often 

 numerous near Flamborough Head in August, immature birds being more numerous than adult 

 ones. Mr. Hancock also says that it is an autumn and winter visitant to the coasts of North- 

 umberland and Durham, where it is common in September and October. In Scotland, according 

 to Mr. Robert Gray (B. of W. of Scotl. p. 496), " it is perhaps the commonest species of Skua 

 throughout Scotland. Its breeding-places, however, are mostly confined to the Outer Hebrides. 



