18 The British Skuas. 



shot coming up with the tide while feeding on a dead seagull. 

 The bird was a young male of one year, not having reached the 

 second stage of plumage. He was not aware that this species had 

 been seen since, but two were got in 1892 between Gretna and 

 Annan, and they were now in the Carlisle Museum in Tullie 

 House. The lecturer next produced a specimen of the Buffon's 

 skua, a bird which was much rarer in Great Britain than the last- 

 mentioned species. Mr Bell, of Castle O'er, in a very well re- 

 membered address to this society told how in 1867 he shot a 

 couple of Buffon's skua at the head of the water Kirtle, one of 

 which was taken to Edinburgh by the late Dr James A. Smith 

 and thoroughly authenticated by the Royal Physical Society. 

 The finest bird the lecturer had ever handled was one shot at 

 Torthorwald in 1881, subsequently in the possession of Mr 

 Hastings. The tail, which was eight or nine inches long, was in 

 the fullest plumage, and the whole of the under part of the body 

 and throat, breast, and neck were a brilliant crocus yellow, an 

 indescribable colour. It was shot on the 12th June, which he 

 thought was either the earliest or the latest date of the year on 

 record for its appearance in this country, as at that time these 

 birds were at the breeding-ground in Siberia and Russia in 

 Europe. In the later part of October, 1891, there was quite a 

 visitation of them to this country. They numbered scores, even 

 hundreds, and included more than had ever visited Great Britain 

 during the previous half-century. Specimens were shot at 

 Priestside and Lochanhead on the 21st of that month; two males 

 were obtained near Dumfries on the 17th and sent to Carlisle; 

 and one was seen at Carsethorn. The last of the four British 

 species was the Richardson skua. The lecturer produced a 

 specimen which had not been referred to publicly till this occa- 

 sion. It was found on the morning of 9th September last lying 

 dead on the water edge opposite Kingholm Mills. It had appar- 

 ently been shot, as pellets were found inside the skin in various 

 parts of its body. This bird was in its first year's plumage and 

 not more than three or four months from the hatching. The 

 Richardson skua was the smallest of the four British skuas, and 

 considerable interest was attached to the fact that the name was 

 of local origin. It was named after Sir John Richardson, the 

 Arctic explorer, and author of one of the finest works on the fauna 



