A HISTORY OF DEVONSHIRE 



being most numerous at the latter season, 

 when large flights appear oflF the south coast 

 at intervals of about ten years (as in October 

 and November 1879 and November 1890), 

 and sometimes small numbers are seen in the 

 Bristol Channel. This species is the least 

 rare of all the skuas, and is generally to be 

 met w^ith in Torbay and Plymouth Sound in 

 October, and sometimes in winter, but it is 

 not so numerous on the north coast of the 

 county. It was very abundant in September 

 and October 1901 off the Eddystone Light- 

 house, according to Mr. Eagle Clarke. 



272. Arctic or Richardson's Skua. Stercora- 



rius crepidatus (J. F. Gmelin) 

 Locally, Robber Gull, Irish Lord, Tom Harry. 

 A passing visitor, sometimes not uncommon 

 in autumn but rarely seen in spring, as it 

 generally keeps well out to sea on its migra- 

 tion at that season. The young or immature 

 birds are most frequently met with in Torbay 

 in October. It occurs occasionally all along 

 the south coast, and also on the north Devon 

 coast, where one was shot as early as August 

 in 1872. It was common off the Eddystone 

 Lighthouse in September and October 1901, 

 according to Mr. E. Clarke, but was not so 

 numerous as the pomatorhine skua. An adult 

 in fiill plumage was caught on a baited fish- 

 hook at Instow in June. An extremely 

 black-plumaged bird was obtained at Budleigh 

 Salterton, i November 1891. 



273. Long-tailed or Buffon's Skua. Sterco- 



rarius parasiticus (Linn.) 



An extraordinary flight of this species, 

 usually extremely rare in Devonshire, visited 

 our coasts in October 1891, after severe 

 gales. Many specimens both of adults and 

 immature birds were obtained in various stages 

 of plumage. 



274. Razorbill. Alca tarda, Linn. 

 Locally, Razor-billed Murre. 



An abundant resident, breeding on Lundy 

 Island in some numbers and also sparingly on 

 some of the cliflfe of the north and south 

 coasts, but on the latter it is most numerous 

 in winter. It is sometimes very plentiful at 

 Plymouth, large flocks of adult birds assem- 

 bling outside the breakwater in January and 

 February, and some are brought in by the 

 mackerel boats. Numbers are destroyed by 

 south-west gales in early spring, as was the 

 case in February 1872, and some, princi- 

 pally young birds, are driven inland by 

 stormy weather and are then picked up in 

 most unlikely places. Great numbers are 

 also frequently found dead on the shore in 



autumn after heavy gales, especially on tie 

 north coast. The birds that breed on Lundy 

 arrive there about the end of April or early 

 in May. 



[A great auk {^Alca impennis) is stated to 

 have been picked up dead on Lundy Island 

 in the year 1829. The original account, 

 which appeared in Dr. E. Moore's ' Catalogue 

 of the Web-footed Birds of Devonshire,' 

 published in the Magazine of Natural History 

 (1837), is as follows: 'Great Auk. Mr. 

 Gosling of Leigham informed me that a 

 specimen of this bird was picked up dead 

 near Lundy Island in the year 1829, and 

 Professor Jameson suggests that it might have 

 been one which had been obtained by Mr. 

 Stevenson at St. Kilda, and had escaped from 

 the lighthouse keeper at Pladda, about that 

 time, when on its way to Edinburgh.' Tra- 

 dition handed down from early inhabitants of 

 Lundy seem to point to the great auk having 

 formerly nested upon the island, and about 

 1838 or 1839 an enormous egg was brought 

 to the Rev. H. G. Heaven, the proprietor of 

 the island, by one of his men in the egging 

 season, which the men affirmed to be the egg 

 of the 'king and queen murr,' and his de- 

 scription of the birds coincided with the ap- 

 pearance and habits of the great auk.] 



275. Common Guillemot. Uria troile (Lina.) 

 Locally, Mers, Mairs, Murre, Pick-billed 



Murre, Baron-bill, Willock. 



Resident and numerous all along the coast 

 in spring and summer, but usually keeps out 

 at sea in winter. Breeds on Lundy Island 

 in immense numbers, on the north coast of 

 the county at Baggy Point, where there are a 

 few, and on some of the cliffs of the south 

 coast. Great numbers are sometimes thrown 

 up dead on the sea shore after heavy gales in 

 autumn, and individuals are occasionally driven 

 inland. White specimens have been killed 

 in Torbay, and the variety known as the 

 bridled or ringed guillemot is not uncommon, 



276. Black Guillemot. Uria grylle (Linn.) 

 About nine specimens of this pretty species, 



mostly birds of the year, have occurred, all 

 but one (picked up dead on the Taw) on the 

 south coast of the county. The black guille- 

 mot is only met with in autumn and winter, 

 and the few adults that have been obtained 

 were in winter plumage, with one exception, 

 a specimen in black summer plumage men- 

 tioned by Dr. E. Moore. 



277. Little Auk. Mergulus alh (Linn.) 

 This small species frequently occurs in the 



autumn and winter months, being usually 



33a 



