BIRDS. 171 



Four occurred in Shrewsbury in one week in Feb., 1899. 

 The Kittiwake has no hind toe. Mr. Harry Shaw had 

 a remarkably beautiful specimen in which all the quills 

 had black tips, forming a black border to the wings. 



GREAT SKUA. The Skuas are "Pirates " amongst birds, 



SUrcorarius catarrhactes. getting their living by attacking 



Gulls, etc., and making them disgorge 



their prey, which they catch before it can reach the water. 



The Great Skua is a large dark bird, only recorded twice 



in the County. One was caught in the spring of 1879, at 



Condover, and kept alive for some time ; another, the 



same year, on the Severn above Bridgnorth. 



Pomatorhine Skua. This and the two next species have 



S. pomatorhinus. the two centre feathers of the tail much 



Oct. Mar. longer than the others. In the 



Pomatorhine Skua these feathers are 



twisted vertically and the throat and breast are white. 



One was killed by flying against the spire of St. Alkmund's 



Church, Shrewsbury, and there are three in the collection 



at Hawkstone from Shrewsbury, Shifnal and Bascburch. 



Another was caught near Downton Castle, March 3Oth, 



1866, and a sixth on the railway at Baschurch, in Oct., 



1881. 



RICHARDSON'S SKUA. There are two races of this 

 5. crepidatus. Skua a light and a dark one. Speci- 



mens obtained in Shropshire have been 

 usually immature, after gales. After the heavy gale of 

 Oct. i4th, 1881, three were found dead and others seen in 

 the County. If disturbed in its breeding grounds, this 

 Skua will fly boldly at the head of any intruder as 

 though about to attack with its beak. 



