s 
THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
colour is spread, more or less, over the breast ; remainder of under-surface rufous 
or rust-brown, becoming almost black on the under tail-coverts, which have 
slightly pale edges. 
Eggs. Clutch, two ; ground-colour dark stone to greenish-buff, spotted, but more at 
the larger end, with very dark brown to light grey ; others have large irregular 
markings of light brown ; axis 56 to 59 mm., diameter 40 to 41. 
Breeding-season. June ; July ? (Bering Island). 
When recorded first from New Zealand, this Skua seems to have caused 
much trouble through the inability of European workers to correctly identify 
the bird in immature plumage. There are two species of Stercorarius somewhat 
alike, but which are very easily separated when adult by the different elongation 
of the central tail-feathers. Immature birds are not so easily differentiated, 
and it does not seem to me to be at all certain whether or not both species 
are found in Australian waters. Most of the identifications seem to have 
been “ sight,” and of course these are strictly not reliable. 
The only specimen I have seen from Australian waters belongs to the 
present species, but careful consideration of the literature concerning the New 
Zealand occurrences, makes me doubtful as to the reference of all the New 
Zealand records to the one species. The synonymy around the European 
form is so complex and unsatisfactory, that I have omitted all from considera- 
tion, and have only given the entrances relating to the New Zealand and 
Australian occurrences. I would here note that Nicholl procured a specimen 
of the Long-tailed Skua in Valparaiso Harbour. 
Buller shot an example on the sea-beach at Horowhenua in the Province 
of Wellington, on April 30th, 1864, and Mr. A. J. Campbell recorded it for 
the first time for Australia in 1883. He writes : “ When steaming up Port 
PhiUip Bay last October, I observed numbers of these birds hovering over 
our wake near the vessel.” The same writer further says : “ Several occasions 
since, but always in summer, I have noticed these birds in the bay. On the 
26th November, 1892, when returning home from Portarlington, ten or twelve 
of these dusky-coloured birds were flying around the steamer. As they 
passed overhead one could see the dark chests and speckled under parts, while 
the two long narrow plumes or central tail-feathers were very conspicuous. 
Some of these birds dipped into the water in the wake of the vessel after the 
manner of Gulls. 
“ In the Tasman Sea, during a passage from Sydney to Hobart, I often 
noticed birds which I took to be this Skua, therefore they appear to be more 
prevalent in Australian waters than is generally believed.” 
Captain S. A. White writes that it is fairly common off South Australia. 
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