694 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



At Filey, an adult male was obtained in the autumn of 

 1880 (J. Backhouse, in Hit. and torn. cit. p. 108). 



Another at the same place on 26th September 1884, was 

 reported by Mr. J. Fountain {fide Thomas Boynton). 



An example was seen at Flamborough on 5th April 1904, 

 and ultimately came into the possession of Mr. W. Hewett. 



One was reported at Whitby by the late J. Kitching, as 

 1 am informed by Mr. Thomas Stephenson, who says he has 

 no reason to doubt the authenticity of Kitching's statement. 



Mr. W. Backhouse, writing in the Zoologist (1846, p. 1263), 

 stated that a specimen of this bird, from the Teesmouth, is 

 in the collection of Mr. Edward Backhouse, junr., but, in all 

 probability, the locality was on the north side of the river, 

 as I learn that was the place where many of Mr. Backhouse's 

 birds were procured. 



GREAT SKUA. 

 Megalestris catarrhactes (L.). 



Bird of passage off the coast ; most frequently observed in autumn. 



The earliest allusion to the Great Skua in Yorkshire is 

 by Allis's correspondent, Arthur Strickland, thus : — 



Larns catarractes. — Common Skua — Arthur Strickland remarks 

 that after the breeding season this bird occurs occasionally on the 

 coast, but is never numerous. 



This noble looking bird, the largest of the British Skuas, 

 breeds abundantly in Iceland and the Faroe Isles, and there 

 are also small colonies in the Shetlands. It is a somewhat rare 

 autumn visitant to the Yorkshire seaboard on its southward 

 migration after the nesting season, and probably also occurs 

 annually on the spring passage northward, but has escaped 

 detection at that period, except on the two occasions in March 

 which are here mentioned. 



The Great Skua generally carries on its piratical operations 

 where the Gulls and Terns are congregated to prey on the 

 herring shoals, but is not often met with close inshore, being 



