276 PROCEEDINGS OP THE 



seen on the east than the west coast of the island, Mr. R. Warren 

 informs me that it is a regular visitor every autumn to the west 

 coast of Ireland, where he resides. Nowhere, however, can it be 

 called plentiful, and the late great flight is thus the more remarkable 

 and worthy of notice. They seem as usual to have struck the east 

 coast, where the first recorded specimen of the year was observed 

 on the first of October, 1879, at Portobello, on the Frith of Forth. 

 Within a few days thereafter they appeared simultaneously in 

 large numbers at various points, such as Berwick, Dunbar, North 

 Berwick, Portobello, Queen sferry, Kincardine, and elsewhere on 

 the east coast of Scotland; also, at Lochmaddy, in the Hebrides, 

 and in the river and estuary of the Clyde. Large numbers also 

 were seen, and many obtained, at various points on the east and 

 south coasts of England, as recorded in the Field newspaper, 

 Zoologist, and elsewhere.* Confining the present observations, 

 however, to Scotland, I shall give, as far as I have been able to 

 ascertain, an approximate list of those which were obtained or 

 observed at various points, chiefly on or near the coast, giving the 

 dates of capture where I have found it possible to obtain them. 



Beginning in the north, and coming down the east coast, I find 

 recorded as follows : — 



Caithness : Wick : One, early in October. 



Sutherland : Brora : Two seen flying south, by Mr. T. E. Buckley, 

 on 13th October, when grouse-shooting at Kintradwell. 



Banff: The Rev. G. Gordon of Birnie records a Skua having 

 been found dead by one of the Duke of Richmond's keepers at 

 Glenfiddich, in the south of the county; but this may not have 

 been S. £>omato?'hinus. 



Forfar and Fife : Frith of Tay : None are again recorded until 

 reaching this estuary, where they seem to have appeared in con- 

 siderable numbers, in company with Richardson's Skua. The Rev. 

 J. E. Somerville, of Broiighty Ferry, writes that a friend of his, 

 who knows the birds well, saw more Pomatorhine Skuas in one 

 day last autumn than he had ever seen previously during all his 

 life, though a keen observer. They were seen flying above the Tay 

 Bridge, and numbers were to be found sitting on the Abertay 



For full papers on these occurrences ou the English coasts vide Stevenson, 

 Trans. Norfolk and Norivich Nat. Soc, 1880, p. 99; also, Dr. C. Brown, 

 Proc. Berwick Nat. Club, 1879, pp. 54 and 169, and various writers in the 

 Zoologist, 1880, pp. 18-23, 90-97, 108-109. 



