396 THE BIRDS OF DEVOX. 



ia full plumage was brought to us in June at Instow, which had swallowed 

 a baited hook on a spiller line upon the sands. The Rev. Marcus Rickards 

 saw an immature specimen in dark plumage in the bird-stuffer's shop at 

 Barnstaple at the end of August, 1872, which had just been shot at Ins tow 

 (Zool. 1874, p. 4241). An extremely black example of this Skua, a re- 

 markably handsome and singular-looking bird, was obtained at Budleigh 

 Salterton on ]^ovember 12th, 1891. A similar bird is stated to have been 

 shot at the same place some years since. 



Two exanii)les of Eichardson's Skua were obtained after a severe south-west gale at 

 Plymoutlj, ill September 1828; one was shot in a field, and anotlier caught in Cuttewater 

 Harbour, Plymouth, in an exhausted state by a water-spaniel, October 9th, 1828. 

 Two others were obtained by Drew at the same time, and another at Mothecombe by 

 Mr. Jenkins, gamekeeper to R. JuUan, Esq. (E. M., Trans. Plym. Inst. 18o0 ; Mag. 

 Nat. Hist. 18o7). One on September 18th, 18.57, at Plymouth (B., MS. Notes), and 

 an adult was seen bv Mr. Gatcoiiibe flying past the Devil's Point, Stonehouse, Novem- 

 ber 2.5th, 1872 (Zool. 1873, p. 3:3'.W). 



Specimens occurred at Kingsbridge between 1840 and 1847. A male was picked up 

 dead in a field near Kingsbridge, May 29th, 18G0 (H. N., Zool. 1847, p. 1694 ; 18(jO, 

 p. 710(>; and MS. Notes); and one was shot on the estuary, November 1874 

 (E. A. S. E.). 



Three or four were seen driving GruUs in Torbay in October 1844, after a gale of wind 

 (F. W. L. R., MS. iv. p. 132). Two were shot in Torbay, October 1858 (M, A. M., 

 Zool. 18.59, p. 6331) ; one in October 187G (G. F. M., Zool. 1876, p. 6161) ; and 

 several adults in November 1890 (W. E.). 



An immature male was shot on the Exe estuary, September 30th, 1868 (M. S. C. R., 

 Zool. 1869, p. 1.518), and one September 21st, 1870. An adult was shot at Christow, 

 ten miles from the sea, October 10th, 1873, and was seen by us in the flesh. 



Both Mr. Redd and Mr. Mansel-Pleydell speak of Richardson's Skua as 

 only rarely seen on the coasts of their respective counties. Mr. Rodd 

 adds that he knew of no Cornish example in the adult plumage. Although 

 describing it as more common than the Pomatorhine Skua, Mr. Mansel- 

 Pleydell could only enumerate four examples. Xor is this Skua other 

 than a very rare visitor to the coast of North Somerset. We know of one 

 ill immature plumage which was shot on the sands at Weston-super-Mare, 

 and Mr. Rickards saw a fine specimen of an adult which had been obtained 

 in December 1873 on the shore near Clevedon. 



Mr. Howard Saunders, whose full account of the Laridte in fourth 

 edition of Yarrell's ' B. Birds ' we have carefully consulted, states that this 

 species, like the other Skuas, is more numerous on the eastern side of the 

 kingdom in its passage south in the autumn. Richardson's Skua makes 

 no nest, merely depositing its eggs in a cup on the mossy ground, which 

 it hoUows out with its breast. It is a very widely diffused species, being 

 met with off the Cape of Good Hope and off the coast of India. Mr. 

 Howard Saunders states that the white-breasted and tlie black forms are 

 to be found on the eame nesting-stations, and that they interbreed with 

 one another. 



