SKINNER 449 SKUA SKINNER, CHARLES RUFUS, an American educator, born at Union Square, N. Y., in 1844. He was educated at Mexico Academy and Clinton Liberal In- stitution and received honorary degrees from Hamilton, Colgate, and Tufts. From 1867 to 1870 he was engaged in business in New York City; from 1870 to 1874 he was manager and city editor of the "Daily Times," Watertown, N. Y. ; from 1877 to 1881 a member of the New York Assembly; from 1881 to 1885 a member of congress; from 1886 to 1892 Deputy State (N. Y.) Superintendent of Public Instruction; from 1892 to 1894 supervisor of Teacher's Institute; from 1895 to 1904 State Superintendent of Public Instruction; from 1906 to 1911 assistant appraiser of the port of New York; and since 1915 Legislative Libra- rian at Albany, N. Y. He wrote: "New York Question Book" (1890); "Arbor Day Manual" (1891); "Manual of Pa- triotism for the Schools of New York" (1900); "The Bright Side" (1909). SKINNER, OTIS, an American actor, born in Cambridge, Mass., in 1858. He was educated at Hartford, Conn., in which OTIS SKINNER city he first appeared as an amateur reader and actor. In 1877 he made his professional debut in Philadelphia. He then appeared successively at Niblo's, New York; with Lawrence Barrett; with Augustin Daly; and with Mme. Modjeska. Since 1895 he has appeared as star in many romantic productions. The best known of his later productions were "Kis- met" (1911-1914); "Cock O' the Walk" (1915-1916) ; "Mr. Antonio" (1916-1918) ; "The Honor of the Family" (1918-1919) ; "The Joy of Peter Barban" (1919-1920). SKINNER, ROBERT P., an American consular officer, born in Massillon, Ohio, in 1866. He was educated in the public schools of Cincinnati, and from 1886 to 1897 he was owner and editor of the "Evening Independent," Massillon, Ohio. From 1897 to 1908 he was Consul at Mar- seilles, France; from 1908 to 1914, Con- sul General at Hamburg, and since July, 1914, Consul General at London, England. In 1903 he was appointed commissioner to establish relations and to negotiate a treaty between the United States and Ethiopia, and in 1912 he was commis- sioned to adjust the claims of foreign creditors against the republic of Liberia. He wrote "Abyssinia of Today" (1906). SKOBELEFF, MIKHAIL DIMITRIE- VICH, a Russian military officer; born in 1843; entered the army as sub-lieuten- ant in 1861. He distinguished himself against the Poles in 1866, and afterward in Central Asia. In 1876 he was appoint- ed military governor of the province of Ferghana. In the Russo-Turkish War Skobeleff distinguished himself at the second battle of Plevna, and also at Loftscha. In 1878 he was created adju- tant-general to the emperor. In 1880 he successfully led an expedition against the Tekke Turcomans, and captured Geok Tepe, Jan. 12, 1881. He was then pro- moted to the rank of general. He died suddenly in Moscow, July 7, 1882. SKOPELOS, an island, one of the northern Sporades, in the Grecian Archi- pelago, about 11 miles long and 5 miles broad. The town of Skopelos, on its S. E. shore, is a Greek see and has a number of churches and convents. SKOWHEGAN, a city of Maine, the county-seat of Somerset co. It is on the Kennebec river. Its manufactures in- clude woolen and worsted goods, canned corn, foundry and machine shop products, etc. It is the center of an important dairying region. Its public buildings in- clude a public library, a court house, and a hospital. Pop. (1910) 5,341; (1920) 5,981. SKUA, in ornithology, the popular name of any species of the genus Ster- corarius. They are predatory swimming birds, rarely fishing for themselves, and
