LARID^. 397 



BufFon's Skua. Stercorarius parasiticus (Linn.). 



[Long-tailed Skua.] 



A casual visitor, of rare occurrence. Specimens have been obtained in 

 summer, autumn, and winter. 



Until the autumn of 1891 we could only have stated that this long- 

 tailed species was extremely rare on the S.W. coasts, and that very few 

 Devonshire examples were on record. But the severe October gales of 

 that year drove a large flock, chiefly of adults and of others closely 

 approacliing the adult plumage, into the English and Eristol Channels, and 

 if we start from the neighbourhood of Christcharch in Hants, and follow 

 the coast-line around Devon and Cornwall until we nearly reach the far 

 east of Somerset on the Eristol Channel, at least fifty specimens were re- 

 ported. Before this great visitation the few examples of this Skua which 

 had been obtained in Devonshire were all young birds in their first year's 

 plumage ; one of them, secured by Mr. Cecil Smith at Exmouth, is now in 

 our ])ossession. In October 1891, two other examples in a very interesting 

 state of plumage were shot at Exmouth, One of these which was sent to 

 us has the dark feathers of the mantle edged with semicircular patches of 

 white, there are numerous white spots upon the head and neck, and the 

 white breast aud underparts are barred with ash-grey. The elongated 

 tail-feathers are just sprouting, and are about an inch in length. This 

 bird is very interesting from its meaJi/ condition of plumage. Another 

 sent to us from Barnstai^le has the tail the full length of thirteen inches, 

 the two central feathers projecting eight inches beyond the others, but 

 shows that tlie full adult dress has not yet been attained in the grey bars 

 which still ajtpear upon the throat and breast, and in the absence of the 

 yellow hair-like feathers from the cheeks. We are informed that the 

 shore-shooters at Barnstaple termed these Skuas " Fork-tailed Petrels." 

 The Rev. Marcus llickards has written to tell us that some were seen as 

 high up the Bristol Channel as at Clevedon, where one was shot, and 

 described in a local paper as a " Buff'oon's Skaw " (sic). 



Mr. E. A. S. Elliot wrote to us that on October 14th, 1891, a flock of 

 Skuas came into Bigbury Bay near Thurlestone, and that eleven of them 

 were killed. Mr. Elliot himself shot another on the following day near 

 the same place, as it rose from the pool formed at the exit of ^lilton Ley. 

 All these birds proved to be Butfon's Skuas ; and one that Mr. Elliot was 

 good enough to send to us to examine was very like the Exmouth speci- 

 men, but had the central tail-feathers belter developed, and had more 

 black on the head. There were a few white spots on tlie back, and a good 

 deal of white on the underparts, ^Ir. Elliot tells us that the other birds 

 varied very much ; one was in faiily good adult plumage, and one was 

 very dark, jjrobably a bird of the year. ^lost of them were dark grey 

 with lighter edgings to tlie feathers. 



A Buffon's Skua was kill.d ;it tlic ^rc\vnluiic in Oct. .her is;).", (E. ^r., :\r;ig. Nat. 

 Tlist. IH'M, J). 30(1). A fine spfciiiien in lull huiiiiiilt dress was slioL on Kiiigsbridge 

 estuary by Air. Eeecliy on June (3tL, 18GU, and it was iu coiupauy witli uuulber 



