483 



point of shooting every bird that attempted to breed on the moor. It may be added that 

 Mr. Shearer is perfectly aware of the difference between the Long-tailed and Arctic Skuas, and 

 that he has always been accustomed to distinguish the two species." 



It appears to occur somewhat rarely on the south coast of England ; for Yarrell does not 

 mention its occurrence there ; but Mr. Gatcombe informs me that an adult specimen was 

 obtained at Plymouth some years ago, and is now in the collection of Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun. 

 Mr. Cecil Smith tells me that it is very rarely met with in Somersetshire, and he only knows of 

 two examples obtained there: — one shot at Wellington, quite inland, in October 1862 ; and one 

 at Stolford, on the coast, in September 1873. 



On the east coast it appears to occur more frequently. Mr. J. Cordeaux says that he has 

 met with it at Flamborough in the autumn, but that it is not nearly of such common occurrence 

 as Richardson's Skua. It has occurred on the coast of Northumberland and Durham ; and 

 Mr. Robert Gray writes (B. of W. of Scotl. p. 498) that on the mainland of the west of Scotland 

 it is only a straggler, but is probably a regular summer visitant to the outer islands. One was 

 shot in Skye in the autumn of 1855; and he examined a pair shot in the summer of 1863 on 

 the island of Wiay, one of the Outer Hebrides, and thinks it probable that they were breeding 

 there. Mr. Dunn informed Mr. A. G. More that three pairs bred on Holy Island in 1852 ; and 

 and he also informed Mr. Gray that he found it breeding in the island of Hoy about twenty 

 years ago. In the autumn season, Mr. Gray further writes (op. cit. p. 499), " stray birds are 

 found flying along the coasts, but not in any numbers. Two specimens were seen in the autumn 

 of 1866, on the river Kirtle, Dumfriesshire; one of them was shot, and exhibited by Dr. J. A. 

 Smith at a Meeting of the Royal Physical Society, Edinburgh. Another specimen of this Skua, 

 which I had an opportunity of seeing, was shot on the Cree, near Newton Stewart, in 1863. 

 According to a note in MS. by Messrs. Baikie and Heddle, a specimen was shot on Sandy in 

 1849." In Ireland, Thompson states, it occasionally makes its appearance in autumn on some 

 parts of the coast. 



In Greenland it is stated to be tolerably common, but does not appear to breed further south 

 than 70° N. lat. Mr. Benzon informs me that it does not breed commonly in that country, 

 though on the east side of Disco it is by no means rare during the nesting-season. Professor 

 Newton, in his notes on the ornithology of Iceland, says that in 1858 Mr. Wolley and he 

 observed it several times at Kyrkjuvogr, and a very beautiful specimen killed a day or two 

 previously at Keflavik was brought to him on the 10th June. Mr. Preyer saw a skin at 

 Reykjavik in 1860. It has occurred on the Faeroes, where Mr. H. C. Miiller procured one in 

 June 1860, and another in 1863; and in Scandinavia it is tolerably numerous; and Mr. Robert 

 Collett informs me that it is " tolerably common in Finmark, breeding both on the shores of the 

 fiords and on the extensive marshes in the interior. South of the arctic circle it breeds on the 

 plateaux of Opdal, in the Dovrefjeld, in 62-|° N. lat., but is only scarce, and does not breed 

 further south. During passage it occurs rarely on the southern coasts of Norway ; and some few 

 are met with in the winter season ; but these latter are generally immature birds. In Sweden the 

 present species inhabits the fells, where it is sometimes very numerous, and at others not very 

 common ; and Mr. Wolley appears to have found it by no means rare in the portion of Lapland 

 he visited. Dr. Palmen states that in Finland it occurs only on the fells in the high north. 



