THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 167 



kept settling on the pier walls and on the vessels, 

 it was stoned from this by the boys, and followed 

 to Livermead, about half a mile from here, and shot 

 whilst sitting on one of the cliffs " (Zool. 1853 p. 

 3807). Mr. Rowe endorsed this occurrence, as the 

 only one known to him killed in Devonshire. 



Sub-Family Steecoeaeiin^. 



GREAT SKUA. — Stercorarius catarrhades (Linn). 



A RAKK visitant. In 1835, a fine specimen was 

 captured near Plymouth, on the 16th of February. 

 It had gorged itself on the flesh of a dead whale, 

 and was secured by a trawl-boy with a boat hook. 

 It was carried alive to Dr. Moore (Mag. Nat. Hist. 

 1837. p. 362). Dr. Scott of Exeter records that a 

 short time prior to 1849, an adult specimen was 

 found dead in a field twelve or fourteen miles from 

 the coast. It was in good plumage, but in poor 

 condition (Zool. 1849. p. 2384). Mr. D'Urban adds 

 that a third specimen was shot on the Exe, 

 December 28th, 1855, by a man named Hall. " It 

 had just struck down and was making a meal off a 

 Black-headed Gull, and was so intently occupied on 

 it, as to allow him to approach quite close before he 

 fired" (Zool. 1856. p. 5065). Writing in 1880, 

 Mr. Gatcombe remarks that this species, " now 

 unfortunately so rare on our coast, generally goes 

 by the name of " Old Hen " (Zool. 1880. p. 22). 



