20 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
the neck between the dark brown cap and the back was also white, both the 
sides and the back of the neck being much washed with yellow; there are 
no white marks on the feathers: the legs and feet are black. The two 
central tail-feathers, unfortunately, were shot away at nearly the same length 
as the other tail-feathers ; so I had no opportunity of seeing how much they 
projected, which I regret, for apparently they projected considerably. This 
bird had not quite completed its moult, a few of the worn feathers still 
remaining in parts, and the primary quills and tail were all clean moulted. 
I mention these particulars as it is not very often an opportunity is afforded 
of examining such a fully adult example. Soon after this, on the 22nd 
October, I received another Pomatorhine Skua, which had been killed at 
Combwich, on the Bridgwater River, and was kindly forwarded by the 
Rev. C. G. Anderson, of Otterhampton. In a letter which Mr. Anderson 
sent me with the bird he states that he understood from William Manchip, 
who shot it, that there were three of these birds about the river, and 
that he heard that one was shot within a day or two at Steart, which is 
further down the river than Combwich; he also adds that the man called 
the bird a “ Mullin Hawk,” and said one had never been seen at Combwich 
before. This was a young bird, and, as in the other case, the moult not 
fully complete; the central tail-feathers, which, as well as the rest of the 
tail, were clean moulted, only projected about half an inch beyond the 
others; this may have been because they were not fully grown, but even if 
they had been I do not think in so young a bird they would have projected 
much further; the legs were blue and the feet black. Other occurrences of 
this bird in this county are rare. I did not include it in my ‘ Birds of 
Somerset,’ as I did not then know of a Somerset specimen, but have since 
obtained one—an immature bird—from a birdstuffer at Taunton, which he 
told me was one of a pair killed at Minehead, and given to him in payment 
for setting up the other. I could not ascertain the exact date at which 
these birds had been killed. Mr. Poole, of Brent Knoll, also informs me 
that he has an immature bird, bought fresh-killed in Bridgwater; so that, 
after all, Mr. William Manchip may have made a mistake in supposing his 
was the only ‘ Mullin Hawk” ever seen dead at Combwich, as in all 
probability Mr. Poole’s bird was killed somewhere about there. These are 
all the occurrences of the Pomatorhine Skua in Somerset of which I have 
yet heard.—Cxcit Sairn (Lydeard House, Taunton). 
PoMATORHINE Skuas IN THE Bristo~t CHaAnNeL.— On October. 21st 
I received from Instow two Pomatorhine Skuas which had been shot there. 
Both are fine adults, and agree with the figure in Mr. Dresser's work, with 
the exception that the band across the breast is much darker. The 
intensity of colour and the depth of this band varies greatly in adult 
specimens obtained at this season of the year. Two shot by me on the 
tee 
