704 THE BIRDS OF YORKSHIRE. 



passing continuously (M. Bailey, oral communication). The 

 years 1881, 1885, 1886, 1887, and 1891 were great " Skua 

 years " in the Teesmouth area ; and, at Flamborough and 

 Spurn, in addition to the years named, 1896 was remarkable 

 for the abundance of these birds, which were noticed in 

 great numbers following the hosts of Kittiwakes that were 

 passing south. On i6th October 1901, an immense assemblage 

 of Richardson's and Pomatorhine Skuas was seen resting on 

 the sea off Bridlington ; the observer at first thought they were 

 ducks, but on a near approach discovered them to be the 

 species mentioned. 



Richardson's Skua has been met with in various inland 

 localities, in the neighbourhood of fresh water, and sometimes 

 on tracts of open moorland. A specimen, formerly in the 

 collection of the late J. C. Garth of Knaresborough, labelled 

 " Hopperton, near York, 6th November 1863," is wrongly 

 named, and is an immature example of Buffon's Skua. 



The majority of those found on the Yorkshire coast are 

 immature birds, though adults are not uncommon, and I 

 have frequently noticed them hunting in couples, in some cases 

 both the dark and light forms taking part in a chase ; their 

 tactics are similar to those of greyhounds coursing a hare, 

 when one temporarily abandons the pursuit the other takes 

 it up until the object of their piratical attentions is compelled 

 to disgorge its food ; on I2th September 1891, I saw fully 

 forty Skuas working amongst the Terns in this manner, and 

 despoiling them of their prey. A rather peculiar circumstance 

 connected with the predaceous nature of this species came 

 under my notice some years ago. I captured an immature bird 

 off Redcar, and kept it alive for some time ; on the sixth day 

 it disgorged a long piece of cork, about four inches in length, 

 shaped to resemble a fish, with two large eel-hooks fixed in 

 the broad end ; there was part of a fine line attached, and 

 the bird must have swallowed the cork, mistaking it for a fish, 

 and broken the line in its endeavours to escape ; how it 

 managed to disgorge the cork with the hooks in the end it 

 is difficult to understand, for it would swallow the supposed 

 fish head first ; the hooks then, being point upwards, would 



