76 
THE ARCTIC JAGER. 
perceiving a distant flock of Gulls, he rises on wing and speeds towards 
them. Renewing his attacks, he now obtains an abundant supply, and at 
length, when quite gorged, searches for a place on which to alight, unseen 
by any other of his tribe more powerful than himself. When on wing, its 
beautiful long tail-feathers seem at times to afford this bird-great assistance 
in executing short sudden turns, which have often brought to my mind the 
motions of a greyhound while pursuing a hare. By sudden, lashings of its 
tail, it can instantly turn, or arrest its flight. When it is on the water, it 
keeps that part upright, but when on a rock or a floating piece of timber, it 
allows it to fall in a graceful manner. 
Although usually seen single, or at most in pairs, during the winter, I 
observed this species in April, on my voyage to the Florida Keys, in flocks 
of from ten to fifteen, congregated as if for the purpose of returning to the 
northern regions, where it is said to breed in groups. Mr. Selby, in 
treating of this bird, says “ It breeds upon several of the Orkney and 
Shetland Isles, and is gregarious during that period ; and the situations 
selected for nidification are the unfrequented heaths at some distance from 
the shores. The nest is composed of dry grass and mosses, and its two eggs 
are of a dark oil green, with irregular blotches of liver-brown. At this 
season the bird is very courageous, and, like the Common Skua, attacks 
every intruder upon the limits of its territory, by pouncing and striking at 
the head with its bill and wings. It also occasionally endeavours to divert 
attention by feigning accidental lameness.” Having received eggs of this 
bird from individuals who had collected them, I may add that they are 
broadly rounded at the larger end, rather pointed at the smaller, have a 
smooth shell, and average two inches four-twelfths in length, by one inch 
and four and a half eighths in breadth. 
M. Temminck, in his Manuel d’Ornithologie, describes the young when 
about to leave the nest as follows : “ Top of the head of a deep grey ; sides 
and upper part of the neck of a light grey, sprinkled with longitudinal brown 
spots ; a black spot before the eyes ; lower part of the neck, back, scapulars, 
small and large wing-coverts, umber-brown, each feather bordered with 
-yellowish-brown, and often with reddish; lower parts irregularly variegated 
with deep brown and yellowish-brown on a whitish ground; tail-coverts and 
abdomen transversely barred ; quills of the wings and tail blackish, white at 
their base and on the inner barbs, all terminated with white ; the two outer 
shafts white ; tail only rounded ; base of the bill yellowish-green, black 
towards the point ; tarsi bluish-grey ; base of the toes and membranes white, 
the rest black, hind claw often white.” 
In middle age, he says, “ all the upper parts are greyish-brown without 
spots; lower parts of a somewhat lighter tint, and also unspotted; inner base 
