2,'28 CoLT.iKS OH Nciv England LaridiT and Prorcllariidce. [July 



during- winter. I ha\e noted the appearance of the hirger spe- 

 cies at that season, though always in small numbers and on com- 

 paratively rare occasions. S. buffoni occurs in summer and 

 fall from George's Bank to the Grand Bank — pi"obably has a 

 much wider range. It is never abundant and is much more 

 timid than the other birds of this genus. In September, 187S, 

 Mr. R. L, Newxomb (who afterwards went on the ill-fated 

 ' Jeannette') collected some birds of this species on Banquereau. 

 and the next summer I obtained several specimens near the same 

 place. These ai"e now in the Smithsonian collection. 



The Great Skua, the 'Sea-hen'. of the fishermen {Stercorariiis 

 skua)^ is occasionally seen on the fishing grounds at all seasons. 

 It is never abundant, one, two, or three birds being generall}' 

 seen at a time, and on very rare occasions perhaps a half dozen 

 will gather around a vessel from which oftal is being thrown out. 

 I have found them most common on the Grand Bank in autumn, 

 and in the fall of 1875 I shot several fine specimens that were 

 used as bait. I believe they occur far more frequentl}' than is 

 generally supposed. In some notes, on the habits and methods of 

 capture of various species of sea-birds wdiich are used for bait, 

 that I have prepared for publication in the Annual RejDort of 

 the U. S. Fish Commission, occasional mention is made of the 

 Great Skua. From November 37, 1878, to July 5, 1879, 'Sea-hens' 

 were seen on four occasions. On the 17th of last October, while 

 passing Nantucket South Shoal in the U. S. Fish Commission 

 Steamship 'Albatross,' I saw a pair of these birds flv across the 

 vessel's bow not more than 200 yards distant.- 



Fulmarus giaciaUs — called 'Marbleheader,' 'Noddy.' 'Oil- 

 bird,' etc., by fishermen — which I notice has been considered a 

 rare bird, is fairly plentiful in winter from George's to the Grand 

 Bank, and is often seen in summer east and north of Cape 

 Sable, Nova Scotia. In former years many hundreds if not 

 thousands of them were caught b}- the Grand Bank fishermen 

 and used for bait. The great voracity of these birds renders 

 their capture by hook and line a comparatively easy task, and 

 they are frequently caught in this way bv the men who are " 'fisji- 

 inir' for 'Hao-dons.'" 



