THE SKUAS OF KILLALA BAY, CO. MAYO. 175 



the counties Cork, Dublin, Antrim, and Kerry ; and all in the 

 autumnal or early winter months, showing that they were only 

 stragglers from the great October migration. 



My first acquaintance with this Skua began in October, 

 1862, when large numbers visited the bay on their way south- 

 wards. For several days previous to the 22nd of October, the 

 weather had been very stormy, the wind blowing in wild 

 squalls from the south-west, accompanied by heavy showers of 

 rain. On that morning, having just risen from the breakfast- 

 table, I was standing at the parlour window of Moy View, 

 looking down the estuary towards Bartragh, when suddenly a 

 Hock of ten or twelve dark-coloured birds appeared in view, 

 flying slowly up the river from the sea. I immediately took 

 my gun and ran down to the shore, but only reached it in time 

 to see the Skuas pass out of shot. My disappointment, how- 

 ever, did not last long ; for in a few moments after a flock of 

 five birds passed, out of which I was so fortunate as to secure 

 a fine specimen of the Pomatorhine Skua in nearly perfect 

 adult plumage. Several other flocks passed on afterwards, 

 and I was able to obtain a second bird in a like stage of 

 plumage. Soon after I shot the second bird I was called 

 away to attend to some business matters, and when I re- 

 turned to the shore I found the flight had ceased for that 

 day. 



On the morning of the 23rd the gale still continued, but 

 had changed round to the west-north-west, and, consequently, 

 the Skuas, on their second day's flight up the river, kept along 

 the western and Mayo side, none coming within shot of the 

 Sligo shore, on which Moy View is situated. 



On both days the Skuas, after keeping along the tidal 

 course of the river for about two miles, directed their flight 

 across the country to the south-west. 



I had an excellent opportunity for observing those that 

 passed on the 22nd, and have little or no hesitation in con- 

 sidering the greater part, if not all, to have been Poma- 

 torhines ; the first flock of ten or twelve birds were, un- 

 doubtedly, of that species, their great size and clumsy-looking 

 tails clearly pointing them out as such, and all exhibiting 

 white underneath ; and long tails prove them to have been 



