464 STEKCOKABIID^ 



with along the Scottish l coast, next in frequency on the 

 eastern side of England from Yorkshire northward. Else- 

 where its visits are on the whole unusual, though, after 

 boisterous weather, considerable numbers have been taken 

 all round the coasts. As a recent large invasion may be 

 mentioned, one which took place in the year 1891, when this 

 Skua was abundant even along the southern shores of 

 England, while examples were procured from several inland 

 counties. 2 It has been obtained as late in spring as June 

 4th, 1877, from Cornwall, and June 3rd, 1885, from 

 Cumberland (Saunders). An exceptional instance has been 

 recorded in spring or early summer from the Solway Firth 

 (Macpherson, 'Zoologist,' 1901, p. 285). 



With regard to its occurrence in the Hebridean Islands, 

 Mr. Harvie-Brown mentions a specimen caught alive at 

 Scolpig, in North Uist ; another was recorded by Dr. 

 M'Kury, from Barra, on May 12th, 1896 (Ann. Scot. Nat. 

 Hist., 1897, p. 150). 



It has occurred all round the Irish coast, having been 

 most often taken from the northern and western sides. 

 Mr. Ussher, in his ' Birds of Ireland,' details an account 

 of a migration of this bird when on its northern passage. 

 The movement was witnessed on May 16th, 1860, on the 

 River Shannon, by Lieut. J. R. Crane, who shot three 

 examples. "He stated that the weather, which had been 

 very stormy for some days, was so wild on this occasion, 

 with hail-showers, that it was difficult to keep his boat clear 

 of water. At Long Island, about five miles south of 

 Athlone, three successive flocks of these Skuas, consisting 

 of twenty or more in each flock, passed over him, follow- 

 ing the course of the Shannon northward, and showing no 

 disposition to alight." (Vide also Proc. Dubl. Nat. Hist. 

 Soc., February 7th, 1862). It is interesting to note that, 

 as pointed out by Mr. Ussher, of the four British Skuas, 

 only two examples (in each case a Long-tailed Skua) have 

 been taken in the first quarter of the year in Ireland. One 

 was procured in Wexford, on January 2nd, 1875, by Mr. 

 G. H. Kinahan, the other on March 1st, 1846, in Tramore, 



1 A fine male specimen was obtained on the hills at Morvern, in 

 Argyll, on June 6th, 1906 (H. Bisshopp, Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1906, 

 p. 186). 



2 Recently, viz., on October 19th, 1903, one was obtained at Axbridge, 

 in Somerset, after a severe gale (Stanley Lewis, ' Zoologist,' 1904, p. 461). 



