[Illustration: Pale greenish blue.]
[Illustration: MURRE--White, buff, or deep greenish blue.]
[Illustration: left hand margin.]

Page 35

LONG-WINGED SWIMMERS. Order II. LONGIPENNES
SKUA AND JAEGERS. Family STERCORARIIDAE

Skuas and Jaegers are birds having a Gull or Tern-like form and with a
hooked bill, the base of which is covered with a scaly shield. They have
webbed feet and are able to swim and dive, but they commonly get their
living by preying upon the Gulls and Terns, overtaking them by their
superior speed and by their strength and ferocity forcing them to
relinquish their food. The Jaegers especially are one of the swiftest and
most graceful birds that fly.

Page 36

35. SKUA. _Megalestris skua_.

Range.--Coasts and islands of the North Atlantic, chiefly on the
European side; rare on the Atlantic coast of North America.

Skuas are large (22 inches in length) and very powerfully built birds,
having the general form of a Gull. Their whole plumage is a dingy
brownish black color, palest below. Breeds in Iceland and possibly on
some of the islands in Hudson Strait. The nest is a hollow on the ground
in the marsh grass and is lined with grass. The two eggs which they lay
have an olive greenish ground, spotted with dark brown. Size 2.75 x
1.90.

36. POMARINE JAEGER. _Stercorarius pomarinus._

Range.--Northern Hemisphere, breeding within the Arctic Circle, more
commonly in the Old World.

In the breeding plumage, this Jaeger has the crown and face blackish;
back and sides of head, throat and under parts pure white, except the
pointed stiffened feathers of the neck which are yellow. Back, wings and
tail blackish, the latter with the two middle feathers lengthened about
four inches beyond the rest of the tail, and broad to the tips, which
are twisted so that the feathers are vertical. They breed throughout the
Arctic regions, but not as commonly in America as the following species.
The nest is on the ground in the marsh grass and is made of grass and
moss. They lay two and rarely three eggs of an olive brown or greenish
color. These are spotted with brown and black. Size 2.20 x 1.70.

[Illustration 038: Olive brown.]
[Illustration: Skua. Pomarine Jaeger.]
[Illustration: Deep olive brown.]
[Illustration: left hand margin.]

Page 37

37. PARASITIC JAEGER. _Stercorarius parasiticus._

Range.--Northern Hemisphere, wintering south to South America.

The Parasitic Jaeger is very similar to the Pomar