STERCORARIUS LONGICAUDUS, Briss. 



(Buffon's Skua.) 



I SHOT one of these birds in a large arable field at Wintringham, near 

 S. Neots, Huntingdonshire, October 20, 1848. It appeared to be nearly- 

 starved. No wonder ; for it would hardly find any of the common crow- 

 berry (^Empetrum nigrum), of which it is so fond — certainly not a single 

 lemming, though beetles might be got. I believe I discovered the skeleton 

 of its mate on a dung-heap where the living one had been feeding. This 

 was a fine adult, with a beautiful yellow ring round its neck, and was by no 

 means wild, afi^ording an easy shot. The feathers in the ring had thin hair- 

 like ends to them. 



The first egg of this Skua obtained by Mr. Wolley sold for £6. " It 

 breeds inland on mountain moors," as stated in his Catalogue. 



There was a flight of all four Skuas over the Eastern Counties in 

 the end of October and beginning of November, 1857, as Mr. Newton 

 informed me. 



Mr. Gould gives, in his 'Birds of Great Britain,' the good account of 

 Bufi^on's Skua pubhshed by Mr. Wheelwright in the ' Field,' July 4, 1863, 

 where it can be read. 



