The Zoologist — November, 1874. 4241 



bii'd, aud with the exception of the two centre tail-feathers, one of which 

 was shot or broken off and the other injured, is in perfect plumage, the 

 yellow collar around the neck being clear and distinct, and the brown of the 

 back, wings and crown of the head being very rich and deep. The cere is 

 unusually large and prominent ; the legs are very hard aud horny, and, 

 ■with the feet, of a deep black, without the slight bluish tint usually 

 noticeable, all these features being clearly indicative of complete or even 

 advanced maturity. Upon my way back across the moor, and about half 

 a mile further on, I came across another specimen of the same species, 

 which, however, did not appear to have been associating with the other 

 bird, and which I had not previously noticed. When first I saw it, it was 

 busily engaged upon the carcase of a dead sheep, and did not seem to be 

 conscious of my approach. I observed with great interest the savage way 

 in which it proceeded with its meal, running at the body, aud tearing out 

 the entrails with even greater energy and avidity than is usually displayed 

 by the crows, which make such short work with the carcases of the many 

 hapless sheep that are worried to death by dogs upon the Burrows. This 

 latter specimen, which 1 also captured, is in the dark blackish browji 

 plumage of the first year, with the fight blue bill and legs peculiar to that 

 stage ; the cere, though sufficiently distinct, being not nearly so prominent 

 a feature as in the adult bird, and the two centre tail-feathers being only 

 about an inch longer than the others. I may mention that the recent wild 

 and stormy weather had driven in an unusually large number of gulls and 

 terns, which had been fishing up and down the estuary for some time 

 prenously, aud into whose labours the skuas would no doubt have entered 

 with zest, had it not been for the untimely termination to their predatory 

 career which I have just described. — Marcus S. G. Eickanls; 37, Cornwallis 

 Crescent, Clifton, October 15, 1874. 



Richardson's Skua near Clevedou and at Instow. — I omitted at the 

 time to notice the occurrence near Clevedon of an adult specimen of 

 Richardson's skua, towards the close of last year, I think in the month 

 of December. I saw this specimen in the shop of a birdstuff"er, who 

 told me it had been shot whilst flying about some fishermen's nets 

 upon the shore a short distance from Clevedon. The yellow collar 

 was wanting in this specimen, but the purity of the breast and length 

 of the centre tail-feathers (which, however, had partially been shot or 

 broken off) conclusively show'ed it to be a fully adult bird. Whilst on the 

 subject of Eichardsou's skua, I may mention that one day in the latter part 

 of August, 1872, when in the birdstuffer's shop at Barnstaple, I was shown 

 a specimen of this bird in the flesh which had just been shot at Instow. It 

 was evidently a bird of the year and in the uniformly dark plumage of that 

 stage. — Id. ; October 21, 1874. 



