Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ...

Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ... Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ...

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130 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM The first species given above, the pomarine jaeger, has in recent usage been recognized as a monotypic genus Coprotheres^ a distinc- tion proposed first by Reichenbach in 1850. The second species farasiticus is the type of the genus Stercorarius of Schaeffer 1789, while Mathews" has proposed Atalolestris as a subgenus for longi- caudus. After consideration of the differences indicated it has seemed that the three small jaegers may be placed in one genus Stercorarius. In case any further degree of superspecific difference is desired it may be indicated by the use of subgeneric terms. On November 4, south of Cabo San Antonio, two parasitic jaegers came beating down the sea beach from the northward, pausing at intervals for an agile pursuit of some tern, or to investigate some other source of food. I secured one and later saw another. On November 7 several more were seen and two were taken. Though less abundant than the long-tailed species the parasitic jaeger was well represented in the migration passing southward at this time, so that I estimated that they were present in a ratio of 1 to 15 among the bands of longicaudus. The notes made on the habits of the long- tailed jaeger apply equally well to the present species. The female secured in light phase had the tip of the bill and the gape dull black, the remainder deep mouse gray; iris natal brown; tarsus and toes black. STERCOKARIUS LONGICAUDUS Vieillot Stercorarius longicaudus Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 32, 1819, p. 157. (Northern Regions.) Four females and two males were taken on the beaL-h 25 kilometers south of Cape San Antonio, eastern Buenos Aires, on November 4, 6, and 7, 1920. Of these birds one is a nearly adult male, as it has only scattering feathers of the immature plumage on the white upper breast and on the flanks. The remaining five are immature but seem to be more than 1 year old. The feathers of the upper surface are more or less margined with white. All are light under- neath, but vary from deep mouse gray on the throat to white streaked with deep mouse gray. The wing quills show more or less wear. A female had the tip of the bill and the gape dull black, the remainder of the bill deep mouse gray; crus, toes, and webs black; tarsal joint pale green-blue gray; tarsus pale olive gray, with the dark and light areas on tarsus and toes sharply delimited. The blotching of light and dark was conspicuous, so that it attracted attention in handling the birds. The extent of the light patches varied considerably, as in some individuals it covered the entire tarsus and the hind toe with its nail, while in others part of the " Birds of Australia, vol. 2, pt. 5, .Tan. 81, 1913, p. 500.

BIRDS OF ARGENTINA, PARAGUAY, URUGUAY, AND CHILE 131 tarsus itself was black. One specimen taken had lost the distal por- tion of one foot in some ancient injury. From November 4 to 7 long-tailed jaegers, acompanied by a few parasitic jaegers, were in migration southward along the broad sand beach extending southward from Cape San Antonio. On the afternoon of November 4 three came drifting slowly down to leave two of their number lying on the sand, while the third, more wary, kept out of range and continued southward. During the two days following a tremendous gale of wind and rain made field work useless, so that I was confined to short excursions about camp. Occasional jaegers passed, keeping low down behind the shelter of the dunes, sweeping by at high speed, driven by the high velocity of a quartering wind. With fairer weather on November 7 the birds increased and were in sight constantly, all in silent passage toward some winter range in the south. The number that I actually saw during the period of my observations must have ranged between 1,200 and 1,500, while the total number of indi- viduals that passed was far in excess of this. The birds traveled alone or in little groups of three or four, some wary and others very tame. They drifted along, frequently scaling for long distances or occasionally flapping their wings, never more than 50 feet in the air, often only a few feet above the sand. At intervals one dropped lightly to the beach near the water mark to pick up a few beetles that had drifted ashore after the storm and then remained to rest for a few minutes. Others more energetic harried the Trudeau's terns with agile wing strokes until they disgorged their prey of fish on the sand, when the jaeger stooped easily to pick it up and then continued its flight. Their steady southward movement without pause to circle about or return was most impressive. Family LARIDAE LARUS DOMINICANUS Lichtenstein Larus dominicanus Lichtenstein, Verz. Doubl. Zool. Mus. Berlin, 1823, p. 82. (Coast of Brazil.) In a recent paper Fleming" has named a form of this gull from the South Shetland Islands on basis of lighter color. Mathews and Iredale ^^ list the black-backed gull of New Zealand as Larus domint amus antipodus (Bruch) without comment as to the differences con- sidered as a basis for' this subspecific designation. After study of an insufficient series of dominicanus that includes specimens from both Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America, New Zealand, 15 Larus dominicanus austrinus Fleming, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 37, Dec. 29, 1924, p. 139. (Deception Island, South Shetland Islands.) " Ibis, 1913, p. 248.

130 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM<br />

The first species given above, the pomarine jaeger, has in recent<br />

usage been recognized as a monotypic genus Coprotheres^ a distinc-<br />

tion proposed first by Reichenbach in 1850. The second species<br />

fara<strong>si</strong>ticus is the type of the genus Stercorarius of Schaeffer 1789,<br />

while Mathews" has proposed Atalolestris as a subgenus for longi-<br />

caudus. After con<strong>si</strong>deration of the differences indicated it has<br />

seemed that the three small jaegers may be placed in one genus<br />

Stercorarius. In case any further degree of superspecific difference<br />

is de<strong>si</strong>red it may be indicated by the use of subgeneric terms.<br />

On November 4, south of Cabo San Antonio, two para<strong>si</strong>tic jaegers<br />

came beating down the sea beach from the northward, pau<strong>si</strong>ng at<br />

intervals for an agile pursuit of some tern, or to investigate some<br />

other source of food. I secured one and later saw another. On<br />

November 7 several more were seen and two were taken. Though<br />

less abundant than the long-tailed species the para<strong>si</strong>tic jaeger was<br />

well represented in the migration pas<strong>si</strong>ng southward at this time,<br />

so that I estimated that they were present in a ratio of 1 to 15 among<br />

the bands of longicaudus. The notes made on the habits of the long-<br />

tailed jaeger apply equally well to the present species.<br />

The female secured in light phase had the tip of the bill and the<br />

gape dull black, the remainder deep mouse gray; iris natal brown;<br />

tarsus and toes black.<br />

STERCOKARIUS LONGICAUDUS Vieillot<br />

Stercorarius longicaudus Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. Hist. Nat., vol. 32, 1819,<br />

p. 157. (Northern Regions.)<br />

Four females and two males were taken on the beaL-h 25 kilometers<br />

south of Cape San Antonio, eastern Buenos Aires, on November 4,<br />

6, and 7, 1920. Of these birds one is a nearly adult male, as it has<br />

only scattering feathers of the immature plumage on the white<br />

upper breast and on the flanks. The remaining five are immature<br />

but seem to be more than 1 year old. The feathers of the upper<br />

surface are more or less margined with white. All are light under-<br />

neath, but vary from deep mouse gray on the throat to white streaked<br />

with deep mouse gray. The wing quills show more or less wear.<br />

A female had the tip of the bill and the gape dull black, the remainder<br />

of the bill deep mouse gray; crus, toes, and webs black;<br />

tarsal joint pale green-blue gray; tarsus pale olive gray, with the<br />

dark and light areas on tarsus and toes sharply delimited. The<br />

blotching of light and dark was conspicuous, so that it attracted<br />

attention in handling the birds. The extent of the light patches<br />

varied con<strong>si</strong>derably, as in some individuals it covered the entire<br />

tarsus and the hind toe with its nail, while in others part of the<br />

" Birds of Australia, vol. 2, pt. 5, .Tan. 81, 1913, p. 500.

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