BIRDS 



bird was shot at Handsworth on 29 April 

 1886, and an immature one at Cheadle in 

 July 1899. 



20 1. Great Black-backed Gull. Larus mari- 



nus, Linn. 



An occasional visitor to the Trent valley. 

 One recorded from near Stafford in 1899 

 (Report North Staffs Field Club, 1900). 



202. Kittiwake. Rissa tridactyla (Linn.) 

 An occasional visitor, common in the Trent 



valley. Several were observed near Tunstall 

 in January 1891 ; also recorded from Cheadle 

 and Uttoxeter (Reports North Staffs Field Club, 

 1892, p. 57, and 1896, p. 48), and from 

 Madeley in 1889. 



203. Pomatorhine Skua. Stercorarius poma- 



torhinus (Temminck) 



There is a rather doubtful reference to this 

 species in the Natural History of Tutbury (p. 

 58), but Mr. R. W. Chase has recorded one 

 as shot at Oldbury in October 1879 (Birds of 

 Staffordshire, p. 138). 



204. Arctic or Richardson's Skua. Stercora- 



rius crepidatus (J. F. Gmelin) 

 Two immature birds killed near Rolleston 

 (Nat. Hist, of Tutbury, pp. 58, III). 



205. Long-tailed or Buffon's Skua. Stercora- 



rius parasiticus (Linn.) 

 Under the name of Arctic skua Sir O. 

 Mosley doubtfully refers to this species as 

 killed near Burton, but Mr. Brown makes no 

 mention of it in his list. There is however 

 in the Derby Museum a Staffordshire speci- 

 men which formed part of the Blurton col- 

 lection when dispersed in 1883, and an 

 immature bird was shot on the Lichfield race- 

 course on 7 October 1874 (Birds of Stafford- 

 shire, p. 139). 



206. Guillemot. Uria troile (Linn.) 



One recorded by Garner near Stoke-on- 

 Trent in 1841 during a severe frost (p. 289). 



207. Little Auk. Mergulus alle (Linn.) 

 Several were shot on the Trent after a 



storm about 1843 (Nat. Hist, of Tutbury, pp. 

 57, 109). One was picked up exhausted 

 between Walsall and Birmingham about 

 1870 (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 144), and 

 another in a similar state at Wheaton Aston 

 near Stafford in January 1901 (Report North 

 Staffs Field Club, 1902). 



208. Great Northern Diver. Colymbus glaci- 



alis, Linn. 

 This fine bird has occurred several times in 



winter within the county at Aqualate (Garner) 

 on the Tame near Comberford, the Dove 

 near Uttoxeter and several times on the 

 Trent (Sir O. Mosley) and near Macclesfield 

 (Sainter). More recent occurrences are at 

 Rolleston, a female shot on 29 November, 

 1869, and another about the same time at 

 Wombourne near Wolverhampton, while a 

 third was killed at Tipton on 8 January 

 1877. 



209. Red-throated Diver. Colymbus septen- 



trionalis, Linn. 



An occasional straggler. Garner records 

 it from Rocester and near Uttoxeter. One 

 was shot at Swythamley in 1880 and in 1871 

 one was taken alive near Tean (Report North 

 Staffs Field Club, 1886). An immature bird 

 was also killed on the Dove below Okeover 

 in the winter of 1895. 



210. Great Crested Grebe. Podicipes cristatus 



(Linn.) 



Dr. McAldowie says truly : ' This fine 

 bird is the greatest ornithological ornament of 

 our county.' It breeds in some numbers at 

 Aqualate and usually at Copmere and occa- 

 sionally on other pieces of water such as 

 Trentham Lake, Beech Pool, Knypersley 

 (1892), etc. (Birds of Staffordshire, p. 142). 



211. Red-necked Grebe. Podicipes griseigena 



(Boddaert) 



Included in Garner's list without any 

 particulars. One shot at Burton, April 1849 

 (J. C. Garth, Zoologist, 1850, p. 2706). One 

 obtained at Burton, 20 November 1 898 (Report 

 North Staffs Field Club, 1903). 



212. Slavonian Grebe. Podicipes auritus 



(Linn.) 



This species is figured by Plot in his 

 History of Staffordshire (tab. 22, fig. i), and a 

 description is given of a specimen killed at 

 Comberford which had apparently assumed 

 the full breeding plumage. Garner includes 

 it in his list, and in December 1893, one was 

 obtained at Brewood reservoir (Report North 

 Staffs Field Club, 1901). 



[Eared Grebe. Podicipes nigricollis (C. L. 



Brehm) 

 Included in Garner's list without data.] 



213. Little Grebe or Dabchick. Podicipes 



fluviatilh (Tunstall) 

 Locally, Dipper, Doucker (obs.) 

 A resident on our larger rivers and pools, 

 and a summer visitor to small sheets of water, 

 but not so plentiful as in former years. 



159 



