THE MUSEUM. 



131 



The Skuas although resembling the 

 Gull in shape and somewhat in plum- 

 age, differs so much from them other- 

 wise that they must be regarded as 

 forming a separate family, the princi- 

 pal points of difference lie in the pecul- 

 iarity of color in plumage and in their 

 mode of life, — in old birds the central 

 tail feathers are elongated and sharp 

 pointed. 



The Parasite Skua is met with in the 

 Arctic Regions of both hemispheres. It 

 is found in Spitzbergen and Greenland 

 e.xtending thence to the middle of the 

 coast of Norway, in Iceland, in the 

 Islands north of Scotland, off the coast 

 of Labrador, in Newfoundland and in 

 Behring Straits. In England and Ire- 

 land it is very rarely seen. 



The flight of this species is erratic 

 and in that respect differs entirely from 

 the Gull family. 



Its gait when walking on the shore 

 is also hurried. They are bold and 

 vallorous, but unfortunately are covet- 

 ous and thievish, for they follow the 

 Petrels, smaller Gulls, Terns and Guil- 

 lemots and make them disgorge any 

 prey they have swallowed and obtain 

 the booty for themselves. 



The Pigeon Guillemot or Greenland 

 Dove (Ccphiis Crr/Zc). This speci- 

 men was killed early last spring on the 

 lake shore at Ashbridges Bay in an 

 opening in the ice. 



It is, from all I can learn, the first 

 bird of the kind even seen or secured 

 at or near Toronto and is a represent- 

 ative of a distinct group, recognizable 

 by its small size and straight beak. 



In Greenland and Iceland they are 

 numerous, and although the flesh is 

 said to have a strong flavor of train- 

 oil, yet they are eaten by the inhabit- 

 ants of the countries named. 



These birds visit the British Isles, 

 but according to Macgillivray have no 

 breeding place south of the bass rock 

 at the mouth of the Firth of Fourth 

 and the Isle of Man. 



American Rough Legged Buzzard 

 {Archiluttcs lagopussancti Joliatmis). 

 Through the kindness of Mr. Myers, a 

 sportsman of our city, we lately got 

 from him a rare specimen of the above 

 species, also shot in our marsh. 



The usual plumage of the Buzzard 

 varies from light brown, to brown with 

 dark brown or black patches, but the 

 bird now mentioned is almost all black. 

 It is the first one of the color I have 

 ever seen. Having only lately been 

 mounted, the skin had not dried suffi- 

 ciently to enable its being e.xhibited. 



This fall the common Buzzard have 

 visited the marsh in great numbers. 



I cannot close these notes without 

 touching on a curious circumstance 

 that occurred last month. Sir Casimer 

 Gzowski mentioned to me that one of 

 his servant men, who was engaged 

 milking a cow in a lot back of his resi- 

 dence on Bathurst street, observed a 

 cat that was near him crouch down 

 and spring at something on the ground. 

 On going over to the animal he took a 

 Woodcock (PItilo licla minor') out of 

 its mouth, and while he was examin- 

 ing the bird the cat made another 

 spring and caught another similar 

 bird. 



J. Maughan. 



The Clay Slate of Vermont. 



BY C. O. ORMSBEE, MONTPELIEK, VT. 



Those whose aim it is to collect a 

 cabinet of beautiful and showy speci- 

 mens, without regard to scientific value, 

 would pay but very little attention to 



