619 



same colour as the back. As in all our Skuas the 

 two middle tail-feathers project beyond the rest in 

 the present species as much as three inches, but this 

 of course must var} 7 according to circumstances ; for 

 instance, a bird shot soon after the moult might not 

 show any trace of these feathers being longer than 

 the others, or they might have been lost by accident 

 and not replaced at the time of capture. According 

 to the respective measurements given by Yarrell, this 

 Skua is a little longer than the Kittiwake, the whole 

 length, with the exception of the two longitudinal 

 feathers, being seventeen inches, and that of the 

 Kittiwake fifteen inches. 



In the 'Zoologist' for 1864 (p. 9240), Dr. Saxby 

 describes the eggs as the most beautiful which are 

 to be found in the Shetland Islands, varying from 

 very dark and almost uniform olive-brown to clear 

 bright spotless green : specimens beautifully zoned 

 are of frequent occurrence. 



BUFFON'S SKUA, Lestris Buffonii. One specimen 

 of this rare arctic Skua has occurred in this county : 

 this occurrence was noticed by the Rev. Murray A. 

 Mathew, in the 'Zoologist' for 186-3 (p. 8448), who 

 says that it was shot near Wellington, on the pro- 

 perty of Mr. Sanford, of Ninehead Court, towards 

 the end of October, 1862 : he adds that, although in 

 perfect adult plumage, the two elongated tail-feathers 

 were missing, seemingly having been just shed. On 

 examining this specimen a short time ago, amongst 



