FULMAR PETREL. 499 



Buffon's Skua has been found breeding in Caithness-shire, 

 though not for some years past; and also in Shetland, as I have 

 been informed by Mr Dunn, who procured the eggs from one of 

 three nests in the island of Hoy, fifteen years ago. 



In the autumn season stray birds are found flying along the 

 coasts, but not in any numbers. Two specimens were seen in the 

 autumn of 1866, on the river Kirtle, Dumfriesshire; one of them 

 was shot, and exhibited by Dr J. A. Smith, at a meeting of the 

 Royal Physical Society, Edinburgh. Another specimen of this 

 skua, which I had an opportunity of seeing, was shot on the Cree, 

 near Newton-Stewart, in 1863. According to a note in MS. by 

 Messrs Baikie and Heddle, a single specimen of Buffon's Skua 

 was shot in Sanday in 1849. 



THE FULMAR PETREL. 

 PROCELLARIA OLACIALIS. 

 Am Fulmaire. 



THE head-quarters of the Fulmar are St. Kilda, Borrera, and Soa, 

 from which group of rocks it is but a straggler in the summer 

 season to the Outer Hebrides. It formerly bred in the south isles 

 of Barra, but has now entirely abandoned that locality, none having 

 been seen there in the breeding season since 1844. I was lately 

 informed, however, by Captain Cameron of Glenbrittle, that he has 

 had the eggs of this species obtained in Skye, where it breeds in 

 at least one locality a " stack " off the farm of Tallisker, half- 

 way between Stack na Maidaidh and Breshal Beg. The nests are 

 in holes in a very steep grassy slope, extremely difficult of access. 

 The country people say there are many more breeding places of 

 this bird in Skye. 



The Fulmar would almost appear to have at one time bred in 

 the island of Mull. Pennant, in his account of the species, copies 

 the following paragraph from one of the newspapers of the day, 

 the General Advertiser for June, 1761: "Isle of Mull. A 

 gentleman of the name of Campbell, being fowling among the 

 rocks, and having mounted a ladder to take some birds out of their 

 holes, was so surprized by one of this species spurting a quantity 

 of oyl in his face that he quitted his hold, fell down and perished." 



