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Show 1876.] MR. H. SAUNDERS ON THE STERCORARIINtf*. 325 Rich. F. Bor.-Am. p. 429 (1831); Naumann, Vog. Deutsch. x. p. 487, pl. 271 (1840); Temm. Man. d'Orn. p. 495, ed. 1840; Middendorf, Sib. Reise, p. 240, tav. xxiv. fig. 1 (egg) (1853). Coprotheres pomarinus, Reich. Nat. Syst. Vog. p. v(l852). Catarracta pomarina (Tem.), Blyth, J. As. S. Bengal, xxviii. p. 406 (1859) (Moulmein). Lestris pomerinus (Tem.), Newton, P. Z. S. 1861, p. 401, pl. xxix. fig. 3 (egg). Lestris pomarhinus, Preyer, R. n. Island (1862). Lestris pomatorhinus, Sclater, Ibis, 1862, p. 297. Stercorarius pomarhinus, Malmgren, Spitzbergens Fogl. p. 411 (1864). Stercorarius pomatorhinus, Newton, Ibis, 1865, p. 509 ; Gillett, Ibis, 1870, p. 307; Coues, in Elliot's Prybilov Is. (1874); Coues, B. of N.W. A m . p. 607 (1874); Eaton," Zoologist, 1874, p. 3812 (Spitzbergen); Newton, B. Greenland, p. 107 (1875). Lestris pomatorhina, Th. v. Heuglin, Ibis, 1872, p. 65. The description and figure given by Brisson of his Stercorarius striatus clearly show that he had before him an immature specimen of this species, the representation of the strong heavy feet garnished with large claws being highly characteristic. Although Brisson's name cannot be retained, yet, if it had been adopted by any naturalist subsequent to the 12th ed. of Linnaeus, it must necessarily have antedated the well-known name given by Temminck ; but this change has fortunately been spared us. With regard to Gmelin's name of crepidatus, which Dr. Coues was inclined to refer to this species, I trust to be able to show that it can only belong to that which I call for the present Richardson's Skua. Temminck's name is therefore retained, subject to the emendation proposed by Mr. P. L. Sclater (Ibis, 1862, p. 297), where he showed that the classical spelling should be pomatorhinus, being derived from irwga (operculum) and piv (nasus), a view which has since been generally adopted by ornithologists. There can be no doubt from the description, especially of the tail-feathers, given by Pallas that this is the species called by him C. parasitica, var. camtsc'hatica. In plumage this species does not exhibit any remarkable variation, although some immature birds are decidedly less marked with sooty striations on the underparts than others. In the adults the acuminate feathers on the neck assume a beautiful golden tinge ; and the dark pectoral band evidently becomes narrower with increasing age until it is totally lost and the bird is pure white from the chin to the abdomen. I have only seen one example of this extreme plumage, in the Rouen Museum, which boasts of nineteen picked specimens of Pomatorhine Skuas, none of which, unfortunately, bears any label indicating either date or locality. The most northern locality recorded for this species is lat. 82° N., where a specimen was observed by Ross flying past the boats on Parry's fourth voyage. It has been found on the coast of Spitzbergen, and in Novaya Zemlya ; and south of these points it ranges throughout the whole of the arctic and subarctic regions. Von Middendorf found it breeding on the " barrens " of the Taimyr and, |
