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THE COMMON SKUA. 
longest; legs with the lower part of the tibi® 
naked, feet large, claws much hooked, strong, 
hallux small. 
Note. — Breed in pairs ; pursue other sea-birds and 
force them to quit or disgorge their prey. 
The Common Skua, Lestris skua. — Larns 
cataractes, Linn. — Cataractes vulgaris , Flem. — 
Stercoraire cataracte, Temm. — Skua Gull, or Com- 
mon Skua, of British authors. — The Skua is a 
northern bird, appearing on our shores in autumn 
and beginning of winter. Specimens have occurred 
on the coasts of Norfolk, Essex, Kent, Sussex, De- 
von, and Cornwall, * and we have seen them occa- 
sionally on the Solway Firth, on the Northumber- 
land coasts, and far up the Firth of Forth ; these 
seem almost its most southern range ; and it is there 
seen now flying swiftly over the waves, now pur- 
suing some of the weaker gulls, following them 
about as a hawk does a small bird, and generally 
finishing the chase when the victim has given up its 
own prey. Shetland is, we believe, the only breed- 
ing place known within the British limits, and 
St. Rona’s Hill has been long known as a favourite 
station there ; it incubates in pairs, making the nest 
among the moss and heath (not on rocks as the true 
gulls), and during this time both sexes are very 
fierce and courageous in defending their property, 
driving off all animal intruders, and they are even 
* Yarrell. 
