Part 157

Bill shorter than the head, strong, slightly compressed, straight, with the tip curved; upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, toward the tip decurved, the ridge broad and convex, formed by two plates, which overlap the nostrils, the sides narrow and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip or unguis decurved, compressed, acute; nasal groove long, narrow; the nostrils in its fore part medial, lateral, longitudinal, broad before, extremely narrow behind, open and pervious; lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, a slight prominence at its extremity, beyond which the dorsal line is slightly concave, the sides erect, and slightly convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip obliquely truncate. Head rather large; neck of moderate length; body rather full. Feet of moderate length, rather stout; tibia bare at its lower part, and rough all round, with small convex scales; tarsus compressed behind and scabrous, anteriorly scutellate; hind toe extremely small and elevated; fore toes of moderate size, connected by convex webs, the third toe longest, the fourth little shorter. Claws strong, much curved, very acute, compressed. Plumage full, soft, blended, on the back rather compact. Wings very long, rather broad, pointed, the first quill longest. Tail of moderate length, or elongated, of twelve feathers, of which the middle are longest. Tongue broadly channelled above, contracted and induplicate toward the end, with the point slit; œsophagus very wide; stomach small, moderately muscular, with the epithelium thin, dense, and longitudinally rugous; intestine rather short and wide; cœca rather long; cloaca oblong.

454. 1. Lestris pomarinus, Temm. Pomarine Jager.

Plate CCLIII. Adult Female.

Tail of moderate length, rounded, but with the two middle broad rounded feathers extending an inch beyond the next; bill dull green, toward the end dusky; tibia, toes, webs, and lower half of tarsus black, the upper half light blue; upper part and sides of head anteriorly brownish-black; upper part of neck all round yellowish-white; the rest of the neck white, barred with brownish-black, each feather having two transverse bands of that colour; breast white; sides, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts white, barred with brownish-black, as are the upper tail-coverts; back and wings brownish-black; primary quills of the same colour, white on the inner webs toward the base, as are the secondaries and tail-feathers; lower surface of wings mottled and barred with white and dusky.

Female, 20-1/4, 48.

From Massachusetts northward. Seen in Labrador. Breeds in high northern latitudes.

Lestris pomarina, Bonap. Syn. p. 364.

Lestris pomarina, Pomarine Jager, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 429.

Pomarine Jager, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 315.

Pomarine Jager, Lestris pomarinus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 396; v. v. p. 643.

455. 2. Lestris Richardsonii, Swains. Richardson's Jager.

Plate CCLXXII. Male and Young.

Male with the bill greyish-black, tinged with blue above; feet black; tail-feathers of moderate length, except the middle two, which extend about three inches beyond the rest, and taper to a point; plumage sooty-brown; the upper part of the head, primary quills, and tail darker; cheeks and sides of neck dull yellow; fore part of neck and breast white. Female similar, but without white on the neck and breast, those parts being merely of a lighter brown. Young, when fledged, with the bill light blue, dusky at the end; tarsi and basal portion of the toes and webs light blue, the rest black; general colour of the plumage sooty-brown, lighter on the neck and lower parts, feathers of the back and wings all marginally tipped with whitish; breast, sides, lower wing-coverts, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts, undulatingly barred with pale greyish-yellow.

Male, 18-1/2, 40. Young, in September, 15-1/2; wing, 11-1/2.

Coast of Massachusetts and Maine, during winter. Breeds in the northern barren grounds, away from the coast.

Lestris Richardsonii, Richardson's Jager, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 433.

Richardson's Jager, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 319.

Richardson's Jager, Lestris Richardsonii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 503.

456. 3. Lestris parasiticus, Linn. Arctic Jager.

Plate CCLXVII.

Bill greyish-black, tinged with blue above; feet black, but with the greater part of the tarsus yellow; tail-feathers of moderate length, except the two middle, which are extremely elongated and attenuated, extending eight inches or more beyond the next, the rest broad and rounded; neck and lower parts white, the former tinged with yellow; upper and fore part of head, with the space before the cheeks, blackish-brown; lower part of hind neck, and all the upper parts, blackish-grey; primary quills and tail-feathers brownish-black, the shafts of the former white. Female similar to the male, but with the middle tail-feathers about three inches shorter.

Male, 23, 45.

Ranges, during winter, along and off the coast, though always in sight of land, as far as the Gulf of Mexico. Breeds in high latitudes.

Lestris Buffonii, Bonap. Syn. p. 364.

Lestris parasitica, Arctic Jager, Swains. & Rich. F. Bor. Amer. v. ii. p. 430.

Arctic Jager, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 317.

Arctic Jager, Lestris parasiticus, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 470.

GENUS II. DIOMEDEA, Linn. ALBATROSS.