OCCASIONAL NOTES. Q1 
same day in October on Torbay, a few years since, differed remarkably in 
this respect. In one bird the whole of the under parts is of a pure white ; 
only a few specks of darker colour appear on the breast. In the other 
bird the chin and breast are of a brownish black, speckled slightly with 
white. A small flock of Pomatorhine Skuas seem to have ascended the 
Bristol Channel, in which waters they are of extremely rare occurrence. 
A birdstuffer in Taunton has received two from Minehead, one adult and 
one immature bird; another, a bird of the year, was sent him from North 
Curry, a place situated some miles inland, but looking down on the great 
Sedgemoor flat; and two more of these Skuas, an adult and immature bird, 
were sent him from a place so far up the channel as Weston-super-Mare. 
I noticed that the adult-examples had unfortunately lost the elongated 
central feathers of the tail, which had apparently been shot off. In the two 
old birds received from Instow one had these feathers in perfect condition, 
while in the other one of the two feathers had been cut off by shot.— 
Morray A. Matuew (The Vicarage, Bishop’s Lydeard). 
Sxuas In YoRKSHIRE.—On the 18th October a specimen of Buffon’s 
Skua was captured on Strensall Common, near York, and brought to 
Mr. Helstrip, birdstuffer, St. Saviour’s Place, York. It is an extremely 
rare bird in our county, only four or five, so far as I know, having been 
previously taken. It was found, half starved, on the moor, but is in good 
plumage and worthy a place in some museum. On the same day a male 
specimen of the Great Skua was shot on Tolerton Ings, near York, which 
I have carefully preserved. It is occasionally seen on the Yorkshire coast 
during the autumn and winter, but seldom comes so far inland as this. 
T have lately seen a Pomatorhine Skua, which, strange to say, was shot at 
Pocklington on the same day as the other two, and is now in’ the possession 
of Mr. Ripley, birdstuffer, Teesgate. The fact of three species of Skua, 
all rare on the Yorkshire coast, being taken in one day in the neighbourhood 
of York is sufficiently curious to deserve notice.—J. Backuoussz, Jun. 
(West Bank, York). 
Sxuas oFF THE Coasts or DEvon anp CornwaLi.—Large flights of 
these birds have appeared in the Channel off the coasts of Devon and 
Cornwall. Mr. James, of Plymouth, a yachting friend, informs me that 
when at the entrance of Salcombe Harbour in October he observed 
flocks of “ Boatswain” Gulls flying down the river from the direction of 
Kingsbridge, and afterwards met with a great many off the “ Bolt,” and 
other headlands on the coast. Mr. Clogs, of Looe, also informed me 
that, on making inquiry among the fishermen of that place, they all said 
that they never remembered having seen so many of these birds in the 
Channel before, and that Gannets were also very numerous. Mr. Rodd, of 
