394 THE BIRDS OF DEVON. 



1879; one March 17t.h. 1S80 ; and one in 'change,' October 1881 (J. G., Zool. 1872, 

 p. 2940; 1880, pp. 20, 21, 48, 249 ; 1882, p. (55). 



Several were seen and two were shot in September 1885, on the Kingsbridge estuary 

 (E. P. N., MS. Notes). 



Many in Torbay, October 18.58 ; some there October 7th, 1869 ; two October 12th, 

 1869; two in first and two in second year's plumage, October 26tli, 1871 ; some 

 January 1874 (M. A. M., Zool. 1859, p. 63;il ; 1869, pp. 1917, 1983; 1872, pp. 2946, 

 2995 ; 1874, p. 3907). Flights visited the bay in November 1879 and November 1890 

 (W. E.). 



An immature bird was killed on the Exe estuary in the winter of 1848-9 (W. E. S., 

 Zool. 1849, p. 2385). One at Exmouth, October 1870 ; and one on the Exe estuary 

 in November 1882. 



"We have seen a Pomatorhine Skua in the chocolate-brown immature 

 plumage which was shot on a field in the parish of Sandford, near Credi- 

 ton. In Xorth Devon specimens of this Skua have been obtained at 

 various times, but it is only when it is a great Pomatorhine Skua season 

 on the southern waters of the county that a few appear on the Barnstaple 

 and Eideford rivers, and are also noted far up the Bristol Channel. We 

 possess a very tine pair of adults, with perfect tails and broad black bands 

 across the chest, and fine golden hackles on the neck, which were shot at 

 Instow in October 1879 (Zool. 1880, pp. 20, 21). The Eev. Marcus 

 Eickards shot two on the Northam Burrows, on October 7th, 1874, one 

 an adult, and the other in immature plumage, and has informed us that 

 the former was most conspicuous when first observed, swimming very high 

 in the water, and when put up flying restlessly about until it pitched upon 

 the sand, where he stalked it from behind some sand-hills, and shot it as 

 it rose. The immature bird was observed later the same day feeding upon 

 a dead sheep upon the Burrows *. It was fired at, and flew off badly 

 wounded, settling upon the water about half a mile from the shore, but 

 was picked up dead ui)on tlie mud-flat near Appledore the following 

 morning in very good condition (Zool. 1874, p. 4240 ; 1875, p. 4300). In 

 the Westward Ho ! College Museum is a specimen of the Pomatorhine 

 Skua, shot at Instow, which is in the immature reddish-brown plumage, 

 and was at first believed to be an example of the Common Skua. 



Ml'. W. Else, the Curator of the Torquay Museum, kindly showed us a 

 large series of specimens shot in Torbay in November 1890. They varied 

 greatly in plumage, some having much white on the head, and others 

 being very dark in colour. One had the shoulders mottled with white 

 feathers. 



Mr. E. H. Rodd considered the Pomatorhine Skua a somewhat rare and 

 irregular visitor to the Cornish coast, but mentions several examples, and 

 we have seen one in the Museum at Truro. However, large flocks were 

 seen off Looe, and recorded by Mr. Clogg of that place, in October 1879. 

 On the Xorth Somerset coast this species has been obtained at Minehead, 



* In his note to the ' Zoologist' at the time, Mr. Eickards adds : " I observed with 

 great interest the savage way in which it proceeded with its meal, running at the body, 

 and tearing out tlie entrails with even greater energy- and avidity than is usually 

 displayed by the Crows, which make sucli short work with the carcasses of the many 

 hapless sheep that are worried to death by dogs upon the Burrows." 



