4 
POMATORIIINE SKUA. 
discerned almost in the breakers; and as it was possible to approach close to the shore at this point (just north 
of Caister), the steamboat was hacked in the endeavour to secure it. The poor bird was alive, though evidently 
no longer able to contend against the force of the elements, sitting with its head drawn close between its 
shoulders and washing helplessly at the mercy of the waves. The deidle was over the stern, and another yard 
would have enabled the capture to he effected, when a heavy sea rolled past and the bird was lost sight of in 
the breakers. Owing to the surf, it was impossible to launeh the small boat and make a seareh along the shore, 
where the body would inevitably be cast up in the course of a few minutes. By the end of the first week in 
November the greater part of the adults had passed south; immense numbers must, however, have 
perished from the effects of the continued gales. On the 9th, leaving tlie harbour early, we were at daybreak 
among the luggers hauling about thirty miles off the laud. Not a single adult was recognized, though birds of 
the year were in considerable numbers, as many as four or five being noticed flying round and ehasing the 
Gulls congregated at the nets of a single boat. As they hovered slowly round while awaiting their prey, it w'as 
easy to distinguish several different shades in the colouring of the plumage; and I succeeded in procuring 
as many specimens as I needed of both the dark and light varieties. Steaming slowly towards the land 
after midday, I noticed clouds of Gulls following in the wake of some of the boats which were also making 
for the harbour. In a few instances where the operation of cleaning the nets was being carried on, the 
Kittiwakes continued in attendance as far as the “ roads,” flying round in circles and swooping down to the 
water as soon as the smallest particle of fish dropped overboard. A short distance outside the busy throng of 
Gulls, small parties of two or three Skuas kept steadily in view, though the moment any particularly 
inviting morsel had been seized they darted off at once in pursuit of the captor. On the 13th the wind blew 
strong from north-north-west, and two or three immature Pomatorhines were flying before the gale along the 
sands. On the 18th out again among the luggers while the nets were being hauled. The Skuas appeared to 
have mostly passed on, but few in comparison with those lately observed being met with. Amung only were 
noticed ; by feeding the Kittiwakes with liver and fish hundreds were drawn in attendance on the steamboat 
for over twenty miles. The sight of this dense gathering perpetually dipping down for food induced every 
Skua that hove in view to hear down at once on the swarm of birds. In one or two instances I remarked 
that the most ravenous of the Skuas swooped down close to the stern and seized for themselves the food that was 
flung over. Hearing that the sprat-boats above Lowestoft were getting immense hauls of fish, we steamed on 
the 28th inside the sands as far as Southwold ; Kittiwakes in thousands were round the boats and also a 
short distance out to sea. Skuas were still plentiful and numbers collected Avhen the Gulls were supplied with 
food, young only being noticed. They proved especially tame, many hovering just above the deck Avhile the 
fish were being thrown over ; the hungry birds afforded such an excellent chance of examining their stages 
of plumage that I was saved the necessity of committing any useless slaughter. The following day, the 29th, 
our course was again along the coast, and much the same Inrds were encountered ; this was the last occasion I 
was at sea off the east coast during the season of 1879. 
While travelling by rail, on the 1st of December, across the Suffolk marshes, an immature Skua was 
passed, sitting on the snow within tuenty yards of the line. The bird was apparently worn out, and had 
probably been carried inland, being utterly incapable of contending against the strong easterly breeze. 
On reaching the south coast, I learned from the fishermen that earlier in the season many Skuas had been 
met with in the Channel ; they had, however, by this time all apparently passed on towards the west. Though 
I was almost daily at sea during December, not a single specimen was observed. 
Since the autumn of 1879 I have not joined the herring-fleet in the North Sea, in order to obtain a 
further insight into the movements of this species ; according to tlic information gathered from the best 
authorities among the crews of the fishing-vessels, the numbers that approached the land during the last two 
or three seasons have been exceedingly small. 
