RICHARDSONS SKUA. 
395 
Dr. Farran of Feltrim, exhibits characters much in unison with what are considered 
to be two species, the Lestris Richardsonii, and the Stercorarius cepphus, Leach, 
( ‘ Fauna Bor.-Amer., vol. ii. p. 482), agreeing with the latter in dimensions, and with 
the former in colouring. At the same time it in size approaches the L. Richardsonii 
as described by Jenyns (‘ Man. Brit. Vert. Anim.,’ p. 282) as nearly as his does the 
original description in the ‘Fauna Bor.-Amer.’ (p. 483). The following table con- 
tains the comparative measurements : — 
L. Richardsonii , L. Richardsonii, Sterc. cepphus, Lestris, Irish 
Swainson. 
Jenyns. 
Leach. 
specimen. 
in. 
lin. 
in. 
lin. 
in. 
lin. 
in. lin. 
Length, total 
„ excluding central 
22 
8 
, 21 
0 . 
, . . 19 
0 
.... 19 9 
tail feathers . 
19 
6 
. 18 
0 , 
. . . 16 
0 
.... 16 9 
„ of wing 
13 
6 
13 
0 . 
. . 13 
0 
.... 12 6 
„ of bill above . . 
1 
1 
1 
21 , 
. . . 1 
2 
.... 13* 
„ of bill to rictus . 
1 
10 
1 
91 . 
. . . 2 
0 
.... 1 10 
„ of tarsus .... 
„ of middle toe and 
1 
10 . . . . 
. 1 
9 . 
. . . 1 
8 
.... 19 
nail ..... 
1 
91 
1 
81 . 
. . 
1 71 
Two longest tail-feathers very much acuminated, the others increasing gradually in 
length from sides to centre ; those next in length to the two central ones exceeding 
the outer feathers by one inch ; breadth of bill at base six lines. 
Top of head, back, upper surface of wings and tail blackish-brown, varying in some 
places to blackish ; entire under surface likewise dark-coloured, except the tail-fea- 
thers, which show a little white beneath ; patch from the eye downwards pale straw- 
colour. This colouring is in accordance with that of the L. Richardsonii of the 
‘ Fauna Bor.-Amer.’ Mr. Jenyns remarks that the species is subject to considerable 
variation of colour in the adult state : — his description of its plumage accords tolerably 
well with that of S. cepphus. 
I should have set down the Irish Lestris simply as a small individual of L. Ri- 
chardsonii, had not its general accordance with S. cepphus at the same time suggested 
whether it might not as well be considered this bird, and consequently whether these 
terms apply to two really distinct species. An examination of specimens would at 
once decide the question. f 
On the 14th of August, 1838, Mr. E. Davis, jun., of Clonmel, 
obtained a fine adult bird of this kind, which was found in a 
* Following the curve ; the others may have been measured in a straight line. 
t Since the above was written, the 4th part of Temminck’s ‘ Manuel ’ has been 
published, and here S. cepphus (J. Ross, and not Leach or Richardson, quoted for it) 
appears as a synonym of L. parasiticus (p. 502). The description of S. cepphus would 
indeed seem about equally applicable to a small L. Richardsonii, or a large L. para- 
siticus (1840). 
In Degland’s work, published in 1849, L. cepphus and L. Richardsonii are made 
identical. 
