246 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



now does not feel sure about the correct identification 

 of this bird, and has not been able to trace it. 

 Mr. Aplin has some reason to suspect that the 

 specimen recorded by him was in fact a Pomarine 

 Skua, S. pomarinus, — a species that from its frequent 

 appearance on our coasts, and not very rare occur- 

 rence inland, is certainly better entitled to be called 

 ' Common ' than the Great Skua, to whom the term 

 is generally applied. To whichever of these tw^o 

 species the record above quoted may in reality refer, 

 it is the only one that has come to my knowledge 

 of the occurrence of either in our county. I have 

 no personal acquaintance with either the Great or 

 the Pomarine Skua in a wild state, so will content 

 myself with stating that the only localities in Great 

 Britain in which the former species is known to 

 breed are certain islands of the Shetland group ; a 

 few wander along our coasts in autumn and winter. 

 The only Great Skua that I ever saw on wing was 

 off Cape Finisterre ; it rarely, if ever, visits the 

 Mediterranean. The Pomarine Skua is not recorded 

 to have been found breeding anywhere in Europe, 

 its summer haunts being apparently confined to the 

 most northern regions of Asia and America ; great 

 numbers of this species occasionally visit our eastern 

 coasts in the late autumn and winter, and many of 

 them are often driven inland by stress of weather. 

 The month of October, 1879, was remarkable for the 

 multitude of this species which visited the coast of 

 Yorkshire and other parts of England. 



