OCCASIONAL NOTES. 511 
PoMATORHINE Skua oN THE DurHAM AND YORKSHIRE Coasts.— 
I have to record the occurrence of another large flight of Pomatorhine 
Skuas at Redcar, a flight similar in some respects to that which visited 
this place on the 14th October last year (see Zool. 1880, p. 18), but not in 
such vast numbers—similar in this, that it consisted almost entirely of 
mature birds of the white-breasted variety, only three or four being dark- 
plumaged, but whether immature or adult I could not ascertain. While 
the terrific storm of October 28th was at its height, considerable numbers, 
amounting to several hundreds, of these Skuas passed Redcar, coming from 
eastward and seaward and going N.W. and W.; they passed along the front 
of the town flying close to the esplanade and houses, struggling to make 
headway against the storm, and, although possessed of great strength of 
wing, many of them were obliged to rest for a time on the water, or else 
were driven inland. Unconscious of danger, they flew within a few yards 
of those persons who had courage to venture out. I did not hear of any 
having been shot or captured in any way; in fact, it was well nigh 
impossible to stand out in the face of a blinding storm of hail, rain and 
sand driven by a N.E. hurricane of fearful severity, and shooting was 
entirely out of the question. Several Storm Petrels were observed, and a 
birdstuffer at Marske obtained three, two of which I have secured, as also 
a Fulmar picked up by a Redcar fisherman. Two Ganuets were captured 
during the storm in an exhausted condition, and another Fulmar was 
picked up about the middle of October. Attention has been called to the 
manner in which the Pomatorhine Skua carries its tail, shut up like a fan. 
I may here state that last year, when the great flight of Skuas occurred at 
Redcar, I was very much struck by the peculiar appearance of the tails of 
these birds, especially those of the mature examples. When flying straight 
ahead the tail was closed, and had a most strange and unnatural look, giving 
the bird when seen from underneath almost the appearance of a cross, 
, the wings being nearly motionless, and the tail seeming to be 
much longer than was found to be the case on examining them after being 
shot. ‘The structure of the Pomatorhine Skua is eminently adapted for 
rapid flight, and the tail plays an important part in guiding its owner in its 
evolutions when pursuing the Gulls and Terns. In several instances when 
T had shot a Skua, others came to the dead or wounded bird, and in their 
twistings and turnings while swooping round, continually opened and shut 
their tails, much in the same way as Terns do when fishing over a shoal of 
sprats.—T. H. Newson (North Bondgate, Bishop Auckland). 
Ber-water, Grey PaaLaropr, AND TENGMALM’s Own In LincoLn- 
sHIRE.—On August 16th a Bee-eater, Merops apiaster, was shot at Tetney 
Haven, seven miles south of Grimsby, by William Stubbs, a professional 
shore-shooter. Stubbs had seen the bird on the previous day; on Monday 
