Order LARIFORMES. 
Family STERCORARIIDAE. 
No. 58. 
CATHARACTA MACC0RMICK1. 
SOUTH POLAR SKUA. 
(Plate 42.) 
Catharacta Briinnich, Omith. Boreal., p. 32, pref. Feb. 20th, 1764. Type (by subsequent 
designation of Reichenbach, Nat. Syst., p. v., 1852 (1853) ): CatJiaracta skua Brunnich. 
Pomarinus G. Fisher, Nat. Mus. Naturg. Paris, Vol. II., p. 185, pref. March 6th, 1803. Type 
(by monotypy): Pomarinus fuscus—Catharacta skua. 
Megaleslris Bonaparte, Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. Paris, Vol. XLIII., p. 643, Sept. 1856. 
Typo (by monotypy) : Stercorarius catarrhades=C. skua Brunnich. 
Bufagus Coues, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., 1863, p. 124, May. Type (by original designation): 
C. skua Brunnich. Not Gray, Cat. Gen. Subgen. Birds, p. 129, 1855. 
Stercoeabius maccormicki Saunders, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, Vol. III., p. sn., Dec. 30th, 1893: 
Possession Island, Victoria Land. 
Stercorarius maccormicki Saunders, Bull. Brit. Om. Club, Vol. III., p. xn., Dec. 30th, 1893. 
Megalestris maccormicki Saunders, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., Vol. XXV., p. 321, pi. 1, 1896, pref. 
Dec. 16th, 1895 ; Sharpe, Rep. Coll. Nat. Hist. “ Southern Cros3,” Ayes, p. 166, pi. ix. 
(eggs), 1902 ; Wilson, Nat. Antarct. Exped., Nat. Hist., Vol. H., Aves, p. 64, pis. 12, 13, 
1907 ; Mathew3, Handl. Birds Austr., p. 22, Jan. 1908. 
Catharacta maccormicki Mathews, Birds Austr., Vol. n., p. 495, Jan. 31st, 1913; id., Syst. Av. 
Australas., p. 150, 1927. 
Catharada maccormicki maccormicki Mathews, Birds Austr., Vol. II., p. 496, Jan. 31st, 1913. 
Distribution. Victoria Land, Antarctica. 
Adult male. Fore-head and top of the head greyish-brown, each feather tipped or margined with 
golden straw-colour ; back and sides of the neck similar to the head but with the shafts 
of all the feathers light golden-yellow ; mantle dark ash-grey, tipped with yellowish- 
white ; back, rump, upper tail-coverts and tail dark umber-brown; scapulars and wing- 
coverts very dark umber-brown ; primaries white on the basal half and brownish-black on 
the terminal half ; secondaries uniform dark umber-brown ; under-parts greyish-brown ; 
some of the feathers, particularly on the sides of the face, chest and flanks washed with 
pale straw-colour ; bill black ; iris dark brown ; legs black ; claws black. Total length 
570 mm. : wing 398, tail 145, tarsus 68, exposed cuhnen 47. Figured. Collected on 
Possession Island, Victoria Land, on the 12th of January, 1841. 
Adult sexes alike ; female, if anything, is larger. 
Nestling. A ball of pale slate-grey fluff. Bill, legs and feet pale blue. The feet get blacker with 
age. Tho down is replaced by a dark and soft mouse-grey plumage, which gradually 
becomes more brown and uniform. The golden straw-coloured band on the neck is 
assumed at ten or eleven months. 
Bill of the nestling, bluish-grey, gradually darkening to black as the bird attains to 
maturity. Iris dark brown at all stages. 
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