262 LARIDJE. 



sounded from the sea, or from the air overhead, whilst, per- 

 haps, ten thousand kittiwakes vociferate their chorus below, 

 all harmonizing with such beautiful effect, that we yield in- 

 sensibly to the magnificence of this primal orchestra of nature. 

 As an instance of their former abundance at Lambay, we 

 may quote a portion of our correspondence with the late 

 William Thompson relative to their decrease. 



About the year 1842 an officer, quartered in Dublin, laid 

 a wager that he would shoot 500 birds here in a day, and, 

 accordingly, went to the island provided with every requisite 

 for his murderous purpose. Servants were constantly em- 

 ployed loading his guns and filling hampers with the slain, 

 but long ere the sun had set his object was accomplished, 

 and his bet won. Five hundred birds at this season, be it 

 remembered, may be reckoned equivalent to twice or thrice 

 that number, according to the species killed, and to the num- 

 ber they would respectively have produced. 



An instance like this, which unfortunately is of too fre- 

 quent occurrence, although of less magnitude in the numbers 

 slaughtered, requires no comment. This species has been 

 occasionally found dead inland, after high winds or storms, 

 having perished from inability to brave the severity of the 

 weather like our hardier species. Seldom found dead in any 

 great numbers on our shores, they have been oftentimes ob- 

 tained in numbers on the French coasts after a hard gale, as 

 an instance of which we quote Degland, who informs us, on 

 the authority of M. Baillon, of a storm which occurred in the 

 month of September, 1824, where that gentleman found, in a 

 small space on the shore near Abbeyville, more than 200 gan- 

 nets, and 500 auks, sea-gulls, and petrels ; whilst, most re- 

 marked, not a single duck was to be observed.* 



Habitat Eastern Europe. 



GENUS CXII. LESTRIS (SKUA). 



SPECIES 252 THE GREAT SKUA. 



Lestris catarrhactes. Linn. 

 Stercoraire cateracte. Temm. 



Common Skua. 



THE place assigned by ornithologists to the skua in successive 

 order after the gulls is correct, since when living it is con- 

 stantly in pursuit of those birds. Distinguished by a dark 



* Ornithologie Europeenne, 



