File:The sportsman's British bird book (1908) (14751910572).jpg

Identifier: sportsmansbritis00lyde (find matches)
Title: The sportsman's British bird book
Year: 1908 (1900s)
Authors: Lydekker, Richard, 1849-1915
Subjects: Game and game-birds -- Great Britain Birds -- Great Britain
Publisher: London : Rowland Ward
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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picuous reddish-brown, or, more rarely, blackish spots. Temmineks Skua ^°^ ^^ ^^^^ representative of the smaller or long- (Stereorarius tailed skuas the writer has ventured to propose the pomatorhinus) ^me of Temmineks skua (after its first describer), to replace the absurd title of pomarhine or pomato- rhine skua by which it is commonly known. Although much smaller than the great skua, measuring only 21 inches in length, this species i84 GULL GROUP is rather larger than the next, from which it differs by the circum-stance that the elongated middle tail-feathers have rounded insteadof pointed tips. This bird is a great wanderer, its breeding-rangebeing apparently contained within the Arctic Circle, while in winterspecimens have been taken so far south as Australia, Peru, and south-western Africa. In the British Islands this skua is chiefly .seen duringthe autumn-migration — occasionally in considerable numbers; andsome individuals remain during the winter, although few new arrivals
Text Appearing After Image:
Il.M.Ml.NCK b SKI A. make their appearance during the return spring-migration. To Irelandit is described as a scarce autumn-visitor, while a few individualshave been seen in May and the following months. In the FaroeIslands it is le.ss uncommon, and has been .seen in spring as wellas autumn. In disposition Temmincks skua is described as presenting amarked contrast to its large short-tailed relative, and even to the othermembers of its own group, being a cowardly and clum.sy bird, whichallows itself to be harried and driven away by its smaller cousins.When attacked by Richardsons skua, these birds, which may easily berecogni.sed at a distance by the peculiar twist of the long middle tail-feathers, either seek to escape by diving, or at close quarters raise theirwings to ward off the swoop of their foe. The nest and eggs are RICHARDSONS SKUA 185 practically similar to those of the great skua, except that the latter aremuch smaller and usually lighter in colour. In this species the two m

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