LARIDZ. 619 
same colour as the back. As in all our Skuas the 
two middle tail-feathers project beyond the rest in 
the present species as much as three inches, but this 
of course must vary according to circumstances; for 
instance, a bird shot soon after the moult might not. 
show any trace of these feathers being longer than 
the others, or they might have been lost by accident 
and not replaced at the time of capture. According © 
to the respective measurements given by Yarrell, this 
Skua is a little longer than the Kittiwake, the whole 
length, with the exception of the two longitudinal 
feathers, being seventeen inches, and that of the 
Kittiwake fifteen inches. 
In the ‘ Zoologist’ for 1864 (p. 9240), Dr. Saxby 
describes the eggs as the most beautiful which are 
to be found in the Shetland Islands, varying from 
very dark and almost uniform olive-brown to clear 
bright spotless green: specimens beautifully zoned 
are of frequent occurrence. 
Burron’s Sxua, Lestris Buffoniit. One specimen 
of this rare arctic Skua has occurred in this county: 
this occurrence was noticed by the Rev. Murray A. 
Mathew, in the ‘ Zoologist’ for 1863 (p. 8448), who 
‘says that it was shot near Wellington, on the pro- 
perty of Mr. Sanford, of Ninehead Court, towards 
the end of October, 1862: he adds that, although in 
perfect adult plumage, the two elongated tail-feathers 
were missing, seemingly having been just shed. On 
exaniining this specimen a short time ago, amongst 
