BIRDS OF DUMFRIESSHIRE 
447 
of Castle O'er, in recording one of a pair which was shot 
at the head of Kirtle Water (i.e., some twelve miles inland) 
in the autumn of 1867, says that he sent it on loan to 
" the late Dr. John Alexander Smith, Edinburgh, for 
exhibition at a meeting of the Royal Physical Society, held 
on 22nd January, 1868. ... In acknowledging receipt 
Dr. Smith wrote me : — ' it is the Lestris huffonii Buffon's 
Skua of Yarrell's British Birds.' "* 
Mr. R. Service records a fine adult male of this species 
shot in Torthorwald parish, at a place some six or seven 
miles from the sea on June 12th, 1881, and adds : "I had 
an opportunity of seeing the bird shortty afterwards, while 
it was in Mr. Hastings' possession for preservation. Its 
plumage was perfect, and the throat, neck and underparts 
were suffused with crocus-yellow, "f June is a remark- 
able month for the occurrence of this species in Great 
Britain, and regarding this bird Mr. R. Service writes me 
in 1908 : "It was in full nuptial plumage, and by far the 
finest specimen, without any exception, I ever saw in any 
collection, public or private." 
During the early part of October, 1891, a prevalence 
of gales, more or less from the westward, accounted for an 
unusual number of these birds on our shore. Some two 
dozen adults and birds " in change " were reckoned to 
have been killed between Walney Island and the Solway 
Firth,t and " Mabie Moss " writes : " More Buffon's Skuas 
have been seen or shot in October, 1891, on both sides 
of the Solway than have been known to visit us during 
all the years put together of half a century past."§ 
During this visitation two males " in change " (one of them 
retaining the long central rec trices) were obtained in the 
neighbourhood of Dumfries on October 17th,|| and sent to 
* Trans. D. and G. Nat. Hist. Soc, April 17th, 1901. 
t Zoologist, 1881, p. 469. 
X Ibis, 1892, p. 184. 
§ Dumfries Courier and Herald, November 10th, 1891. 
II Ann. Scot. Nat. Hist., 1892, pp. 73, 74. 
