107 
wc might as well boast of a visit from Royalty because Her Majesty 
happened to pass our coast in yacht or steamer out of sight of the 
most powerful preventive glass in use at the loftiest “ look-out ” 
U 2 ) 0 n our extensive seaboard. 
1 rom a search in my own note-books for the last thirty years, 
and from other sources, the following are the only entries I can find 
worth quoting at the present time, and the last, that of 1871, has 
certainly the most affinity to the influx of Skuas in 1879, because, 
however small the numbers killed that autumn in comi)arison with 
last October, the all-important feature of heavy “ inshore ” gales 
o])erated in both cases. 
1847. In the ‘Zoologist’ for this year Messrs. Gurney and 
Fisher recorded the capture, during the month of September, at 
different localities in Norfolk, of four specimens of l\ichard.son’.s 
Skua, two in adult and two in immature plumage, Avhich would 
seem to indicate that they Avere numerous at that time off the coast. 
1857. In this year I find a note of having seen at a birdstuffer’s 
shop in NorAvich, betAA^een the Gth and 20th of October, three fine 
adult Great Skuas, three immature Pomatorhines, and four Gannets 
(three adult), all brought into Yarmouth by the smacks, and said 
to have been shot some tAvclve or fourteen miles off the coast, 
^fr. Gould also states in his ‘ Birds of Great Britain,’ Avriting of 
the Pomatorhine Skua that, on the 19th of October, 1857, he saAv 
in Leadenliall ^Market “ five Great Skuas, seven Pomatorhine Skuas 
(one adult and six young of the year), and one young Arctic Skua, 
all of Avhicli Avere from 'iharmouth, and it is believed had been 
killed near the lightshiji after a gale.” * 
1858. This year I recorded in the ‘ Zoologist’ (p. 6309) as shot 
in October, from the boats engaged off Yarmouth in the Herring 
fishery, several Great Skuas, mostly adult, six Richardson’s Skuas 
* In Morris’ ‘ Naturalist’ for lSo7 (p. 2S4), is a notice by Mr. S. P. Savill, 
jnn., then of Cambridge, to the effect that he had heard (some time in 
October) of an a^lnlt Pomatorhine, an Arctic, and three pairs of Great 
Skuas, having been shot on the coast of Scotland by some fishermen out 
Herring fishing, Avhich Avere bought in the market at Great Yannouth. I 
knoAv not if tliis statement is correct or not. I give it for Avhat it is Avorth 
on Mr. Savill’s autliority. ]\Ir. Savill also records, at the same time, a 
Pomatorhine Skua as .shot on the 2Sth of September, 1S57, at Marshton, 
Norfolk ; but I know of no such locality in this county. 
