10 PROCEEDINGS OP SOCIETIES. 



ftlthough nenrly approaching maturity ; and I infer this— differing from Mr. Thomp- 

 son, who says that the bird is mature— by stating, that when it is approaching to 

 that stage a few yellow hair-like streaks appear on the sides of the neck, next the 

 sides of the neck all round become white tinged with yellow, the head remaining 

 the same colour as the back. This bird appears, like the last mentioned, to be 

 unknown to Bewick, as it is not recorded in his work. I shall not for the present 

 attempt to offer any further observation on this bird, as a difficulty arises as to 

 whether those two specimens to which I now point are the young of Richardson's or 

 the long-tailed Skua ; and as the question appears'to involve some difficulty I shall 

 first advert to the long-tailed Skua (Lestris parasiticus). Arctic Skua, or Lestris 

 Buffonii, Buffon's Skua, is noticed by Mr. Thompson " as of occasional occurrence 

 in autumn on some parts of the coast ;" and in a communication made to the Zoolo- 

 gical Society of London by that lamented gentleman, it was remarked that speci- 

 mens of the true Lestris parasiticus Temminck have repeatedly occurred in the 

 bays of Belfast and Dublin, and he was induced to mention the circumstance from 

 so very little being known of the bird as a British species. And this was truly sur- 

 prising, for the true Arctic Skua is altogether one of the most elegant of our sea birds 

 — light and handsome in its form, delicate in the colours of its plumage, and free 

 and graceful in its motion. It is one of those birds the rareness of which is a mat- 

 ter of regret. There is no difficulty with adult birds in distinguishing the difference 

 in species. Here you have Richardson's Skua nearly adult, and we are indebted to 

 Professor Melville, Queen's College, Galway, for the pleasure we enjoy in viewing 

 the fine specimens of the adult Arctic Skua. Professor Melville, aware that I re- 

 quired the bird to illustrate this evening's paper, in the true spirit of a naturalist 

 and kindness of a friend forwarded it to me. The bird he obtained some time pre- 

 Tiously, in the bay of Galway. But if there is no great difficulty in distinguishing 

 species when adult, such is not the case with immature birds, and more particularly 

 with the two species just under consideration ; and this brings me to a point I wished 

 to have touched on in the early part of my paper — namely, whether those two speci- 

 mens owe their parentage to Richardson's or the long-tailed Skua. The history of 

 those birds may tend to elucidate the truth. Towards the latter end of September 

 I was favoured by Mr. Ness, of Booterstown, with this bird, which he obtained 

 some distance from the shore. 1 sent it to Mrs. Baker to preserve. Shortly after 

 a specimen identical with it was forwarded from some part of the west coast of Ire- 

 land for Dr. Harvey, of Cork, to the same taxidermist; and about a fortnight after- 

 wards I was favoured by Mr. Ness presenting me with another bird of the same 

 species, which is now on the table. 1 examined those birds most minutely, and I 

 confess great difficulties presented themselves in determining whether they belonged 

 to Richardson's or the Arctic Skua ; but these were partly removed by looking into 

 the work of Bewick. You may remember I stated that Bewick was not acquainted 

 with either the Pomarine or Richardson's Skua, but he gives two excellent plates, 

 one of the Arctic, the other the black- toed Lobbe, dung- bird or boatswain, and 

 young Arctic gull, and in giving a description of the bird, he observes — " This bird, 

 which was formerly arranged as a distinct species," and a little further on he adds — 

 " The toes black, the webs are of the same colour, excepting a small space between 

 the first joint of the toes, which is white. ' Examine those birds and you will find 

 that they are exactly represented by his description ; on the contrary, it would seem 

 both from the descriptions and plates in Mr. Yarrell's work that he would make 

 them the young of Ilichardson's Skua ; but we have another witness of no mean 

 authority in Mr.Thorapson, who would place the parentage to the Arctic or long-tailed 

 Skua, and most fortunately he has left us his opinion inscribed on more than one 

 specimen, which places them, if we are to confide in his opinion, authoritatively as 

 such. In writing on this species, he says — " To myself this is the best known 

 species of the Lestris, and it was the first to come under my observation both in 

 Belfast and Dublin." He proceeds.and informs us that in the '^ Penny Journal'' of 

 March 9, 1833, a bird of an unknown kind was described and figured; being in 

 Dublin I went to see the specimen, which was in the collection of Mf. Massey, 

 of the Pigeon House Fort, and found it to be an immature long- tailed Skua. 

 That bird passed into the possession of Mr. Waters, in whose collection it now 

 is. I have compared mine with it, and I find them identical. He 



