40 NATTTRAL HISTOKY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



Junior. My interest in the paper was not a little increased by the cir- 

 cumstance that the facts noted by Mr. Warren corresponded very exactly 

 with some observations which I was at the same time (end of last Oc- 

 tober) enabled to make on the migration of the Skua. My observations 

 were in Tralee harbour. 



"During the last fortnight of October (1862), we experienced very 

 heavy gales on the coast of Kerry. On the 24th of October, the wind, 

 which had been at W. and W. S.W., went round to N., shifting occa- 

 sionally to N.N. W. and N. W. Early on the morning of the 25th my 

 brother mentioned to me that he had observed a Gull flying over the 

 beach of the north side of our harbour, with the appearance of which 

 he was unacquainted. We, during that day, being on the look out for 

 him, saw the bird without being able to get a shot at him. The bird 

 was, I am confident, a ' Richardson's Skua.' Next day, ongoing to the 

 beach we saw several 'Richardson's,' and amongst them three or four 

 'Pomarines.' We succeeded in shooting a good many of the former, but 

 it was not until the 27th that we got within range of one of the latter, 

 which my brother shot. He was a male Pomarine in the black plu- 

 mage ; I sent him up to Dublin to Mrs. Glennon, by whom he was 

 stuffed for me. I observe in the report of your meeting of the 5th of 

 last December that Mr. R. P. Williams mentioned ' that a specimen of 

 the Pomarine Skua, in the black plumage, might be seen in Mrs. Glen- 

 non's window in Suffolk-street.' That was the bird which I had sent 

 up. The flight of Skuas remained about our harbour for several days ; 

 I may say, while the heavy weather lasted : on the weather moderating 

 a little they disappeared. I may mention that while the two species of 

 Skua which I have mentioned remained, I also observed one of the com- 

 mon skuas (L. catarrhactes) in Tralee harbour. Of Richardson's Skua 

 I succeeded in obtaining specimens in different stages of plumage, from 

 the dark plumage of the immature bird to the mature plumage, showing 

 the yellow circle of feathers round the neck. 



" To instance the extreme boldness of ( Richardson's Skua,' I will 

 mention the following circumstance : — A poor fisherman, in my neigh- 

 bourhood, was in the habit of setting ' spillars,' or ' long lines,' on one 

 of the sandbanks in Tralee harbour, which is exposed at low water. 

 His custom was to lay his lines on the bank when dry, and take them 

 at the next low water. He assured me that while the Skuas remained 

 in the harbour, he had to strike at them when taking up his lines, so 

 determinedly did they dart at the fish on the hooks and at himself. 

 This circumstance is interesting, from the fact that these birds gene- 

 rally prefer availing themselves of the results of the fishing of other 

 Gulls to fishing for themselves. 



" For many years past I have been in the habit (every summer and 

 autumn) of sailing a great deal off the coast of Kerry. During that time 

 I have very frequently observed 'Richardson's Skua' occurring off the 

 coast during the month of October, but until this year I do not remem- 

 ber to have seen them in the harbour. We have generally fallen in 

 with them in a line from Kerry Head to Bandon Head. The fishermen 



