Order LARIFORMES. 
No. 59. 
Family STERCORA RIIDM. 
CATHARACTA ANTARCTICA. 
SOUTHERN SKUA. 
Lestbis antarcticus Lesson, Traite d’Orn., p. 616, June 11th, 1831: Falkland Islands. 
Megalestris maccormicki A. J. Campbell, Emu, Vol. XXIV., p. 77, July 4th, 1924. 
Catharacta antarctica, id., ib., p. 119, Oct. 1st, 1924. 
Adult. Feathers at the base of the fore-head whitish-buff ; crown of the head, occiput and nape 
ash -brown, tipped with brownish-white; feathers round the hind-neck paler than the 
head and with the shafts and tips whitish-buff; remainder of the upper-surface dull 
chocolate-brown, all the feathers bordered at the extremity with whitish-buff, caused 
by wear and bleaching, all the feathers being much truncated by wear —a few new 
dark chocolate- brown feathers are making their appearance on the mantle ; quills dull 
chocolate-brown with the basal half of the inner web white; throat, sides of the neck and 
fore-neck dull greyish-brown with the tips buffish-white ; remainder of the under-surface 
warm greyish-brown ; under wing-coverts and axillaries like the chest. Total length 
560 mm. : culmen 54, wing 375, tarsus 67. Queenscliff, Victoria, taken by N. Batchelor. 
The above description is taken from the Australian shot specimen. The 
data is not satisfactory. It is antarctica, but how did it get to Victoria ? 
No bird should be placed on a List of any country till it proves 
its right. Any doubt on its authenticity should make scientific writers most 
careful. 
I am indebted to Mr. J. A. Kershaw for sending me over the specimen 
described above. 
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