216 THE BIRDS OF BERKS AND BUCKS. 



Chesham, wrote me word that a Gannet was taken 

 by the Rev. T. Rogers, at Sherington, near Newport 

 Pagnell, in November, 1847. By a skilful manoeuvre 

 he succeeding in securing it, notwithstanding the 

 desperate resistance which it made with its power- 

 ful wings and formidable bill. It was kept alive 

 some time by its captor, and fed entirely upon 

 fish. 



Family LARID.E. 



MASKED GULL (Larus capistratus). Temminck 

 first distinguished this species from the Black-headed 

 Gull (Larus ridibundiis) ; it is an extremely rare bird 

 in this country, being found principally in Baffin's 

 Bay and Davis's Straits, and only occasionally 

 wandering to Europe. 



The < History of British Birds ' by the Rev. F. O. 

 Morris, contains the only instance which has come 

 under my notice of the occurrence of this bird in 

 the two counties. This notice is very brief: ' In 

 Berkshire, one in immature plumage was obtained 

 near Newbury.' This species has been known to 

 breed at Westra, in the Orkneys. 



POMARINE SKUA (Lestris pomarimis). By no 

 means a common bird on the coast, and still more 

 rare inland. I was informed by Mr. Gardner, of 

 Oxford Street, that a Skua of this species was sent 

 to them for preservation by a gentleman resident in 



