274 



Distribution in the British Islands. A Bird of Passage in 

 autumn and occasionally met with in spring and summer ; 

 it is most frequently seen on the east coast of England and 

 the west coast of Scotland, and in stormy weather is' some- 

 times common, as in October 1879. Elsewhere it is usu.illy 

 rare, but in the autumn of 1891 many visited Scotland as 

 well as the south coast of England. In Ireland it occurs 

 occasionally in autumn and sometimes in spring. 



General Distribution. Buffon's Skua is circumpolar, 

 breeding in the arctic regions of both hemispheres but 

 seldom south of the Arctic Circle except on the lofty fells 

 of Scandinavia. In autumn and winter it migrates south- 

 wards in the eastern Atlantic to Gibraltar, occasionally 

 entering the Mediterranean ; and in the west to the New 

 England coasts and even Florida ; in the Pacific to California 

 and the Kurile Islands, occasionally wandering south to about 

 20 N. latitude. 



StercorarillS pomariims. POMATORHINE SKUA. 



Lestris pomarinus Temminck, Man. d'Orn. 1815, p. 514 : 

 Arctic regions. 



Stercorarius pomatoriiinus (Temm.~) ; B. O. U. List, 1st ed. 1883, 

 p. 194 ; Saunders, Cat. Birds B. M. xxv. 1896, p. 322 ; id. 

 Manual, 2nd ed. 1899, p. 689. 



Pomarinus, probably more correctly Pomdtorhinus, from irwfta, genitive 

 jrujftaTo?, a lid or cover, and pis, genitive plvus, the nose, nostril ; fiorn the 

 nasal operculum. 



Distribution in the British Islands. A Winter Visitor and 

 a Bird of Passage, chiefly in autumn, to our coasts, especially 

 to the east of Great Britain and the west coast of the Outer 

 Hebrides. Occasionally, as in the autumns of 1862, 1879, 

 and 1880, large numbers have been observed : and some 

 remain throughout the winter off the south coast of 

 England. To Ireland it is a rare autumn visitor, though 

 a few have been observed in summer. Individuals are 

 occasionally blown inland. 



