78 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vm. 



Liverpool Museum, but it was only possible to preserve 

 the wings and tail. As this Skua is very uncommon on the 

 west coast of England, this occurrence may be of interest. 



E. U. Savage. 



An example of the Long-tailed Skua was killed at 

 Withens Reservoir, Cragg Vale, in the Hebden Bridge 

 district, south-west Yorksliire, on June 14th, 1914, by 

 Mr. V. Jowett. It was despatched to the Morley Museum, 

 the Curator, Mr. E. J. Gentry, kindly informing me of the 

 occurrence. Answering my inquiry of a later date, Mr. 

 Gentry states that the bird was identified by Mr. Parkin, 

 taxidermist, of Wakefield, who has been entrusted with its 

 preservation. The two central tail-feathers were six inches 

 longer than the other tail-feathers. Nelson {Birds of York- 

 shire, II., p. 706) states that this bird's visits, as a rule, take 

 place in autumn only ; and that the earliest example was 

 taken alive at Redcar on June 20tli, 1849, a most unusual 

 date for the occiu-rence of any bird of this family so far 

 south. He also adds that the bird has not been recorded 

 on the spring passage nortli\\ ards, but that doubtless it 

 occurs at that period. Walter Greaves. 



When fishing on Lough Arrow, co. Sligo, I spent some time 

 on June 11th, 1914, in the company of a Long-tailed Skua, 

 a most absurdly tame bird. It was feeding close to the boat 

 on May-flies, and I quite believe I could have caught it in 

 the landing net liad I wished to do so. I first heard of the 

 bird from a friend fishing there about June 7th or 8th, and 

 from others also. Nobody knew \\'hat it was. I was 

 unlucky enough to expose the only tliree films I had with me 

 when I first came across the bird, and before I found out 

 how very tame it was. Had I but waited I could have got 

 a photograph of it sitting on the shore not more than five 

 or six feet away from me. 



I have never seen a more graceful flier : it simply glided 

 about tlirough the air without apparent effort. I have 

 been assured that birds have no power of movement in the 

 extremities of long tail-feathers, but the accompanying photo- 

 graph of the bird flying and just about to alight on the 

 water seems to indicate otJierwise. 



On May 31st, a friend also fishing with me on Lough 

 Arrow, told me he had seen a bird which he thought must be 

 a Skua, though he only knew the bird from books. From 

 his description I concluded it was a Richardson's or else 

 Pomatorhine. On my sending him a print of the Long-tailed 

 Skua, he said that his Skua was not the one I photographed, 



