OF A^OETHTJMBEELAIfD A^^) DtTKHAM. 135 



mucli the rarer of the two. I know of only three specimens 

 that have been taken. One was shot near Benwell Boat House, 

 on the Tyne, in JN^oyemher, 1828, and is now in the iN'ewcastle 

 Museum : this is the bii'd mentioned in Mr. Selby's catalogue. 

 Another example was killed on the Tyne, opposite the Old Man- 

 sion House, Newcastle. And the third example was shot near 

 Blyth, in 1837. The last two are in my collection. 



Family. LAEID^, Leacli. 

 136. STERCORARIUS, Brisson. 



9. Sktta. S. cataeeactes, (Linnceus.) 



Lestris cata/rractes, Bewick, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 1847, II., 



216. 



Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, III., 602. 



A rare autumn and winter visitant ; occasionally seen on our 

 coast in autumn. I have a specimen that was shot at J^ewton- 

 by-thc-Sea, on the 25th of October, 1833. 



Some years ago, while shooting on the coast, at St. Mary's 

 Island, with my late friends, Mr. Philip Stanton and Mr. William 

 Kell, a Tern was wounded, and fell into the sea out of reach. 

 We were watching it, and commiserating its cruel fate, when, 

 as it drifted seaward, a Skua made its appearance, and quietly 

 seating itself on the water, close by the struggling Tern, com- 

 menced at once, sans ceremonie, to devour it : thus mercifully 

 the sufferer was speedily put out of pain. 



10. PoMAEiNE Sktja. S. P03XAEINFS, {Temminclc.) 



Lestris pomarinus, Yarrell, Hist. Brit. Birds, Ed. 2, III., 606. 



Stercorarius pomatorhmus, Grould, Birds of Gft. Britain, Part 

 VIII. 



A rare winter visitant. I have several specimens of this species 

 that were killed on the ]S"orthumberland coast ; they are all in 

 the first plumage. I have also two others in the mature dress, 

 shot on the Tyne; one in 1830, the other on the 14th of Sep- 

 tember, 1846. Two examples that were in the collection of the 

 late Mr. William Backhouse were taken off the Durham coast. 



