blotched with hrown of two tints, the paler having tlie appearance of being beneath the surface of tlie 
shell. The same gentleman has likewise communicated to me the following note : — “ Since I was in 
Lapland in 1855, I have three or four times renewed my acquaintance with the Pomatorhine Skua. In 
Iceland, although it has been observed by several travellers, I believe it is not common, and I only 
saw the species once. In October 1862, while lying weather-bound in Torbay, a party of about thirty of 
these birds were for two days in close attendance on our ship, and about as many more round each of two 
other vessels anchored near us. They were very tame, coming close alongside the quarter-deck in quest of 
food ; and dire was the strife and loud the contention as one lucky bird after another seized on some 
choice morsel and conveyed it far astern to devour it at leisure. Scarcely any two of these birds were 
alike in plumage. There was every gradation, from the sombre whole-coloured suit of sooty-brown to 
the varied dress with an under surface of pure white, adults in the extreme of each habit appearing, as 
their long disk-bearing tails testified. On my return from Spitsbergen in August 1864, about midway 
between Bear Island and the coast of Norway, we saw many of these birds, generally in waiting on the 
flocks of Kittiwakes which we encountered. In Spitsbergen itself, only one was recognized by our party.” 
The Pastor Sommerfelt, in his account of the birds of East Finmark, mentions its yearly occurrence, in 
spring and autumn, in the Varanger Fjord, and states that he has obtained its eggs from Gamvik, where it 
has been observed all through the summer. From this and the information given by Mr. Newton, I should 
conclude that it breeds on the high fells east of the North Cape, which look forth towards,the Arctic Ocean. 
In the British Islands it only occurs as a straggler, but in that character it is certainly not rare. It 
sometimes is met with in large bands, and occasionally wanders far from the sea into the inland counties. 
The first record of its occurrence as a British bird is, I believe, to be found in the sale Catalogue of 
Bullock’s celebrated Museum, in 1819. Two specimens are therein mentioned, one of which is stated to 
have been killed at Brighton. This was secured by Dr. Leach for the National Collection, where it may 
now be seen ; but Mr. G. R. Gray, in his ‘ Catalogue of Birds in the British Museum,’ attaches to it the 
locality “ North Britain,” which is probably an error. 
In proof that it is frequently met with on our coasts, I may mention that on the 19th of October, 1857, 
I saw in Leadenhall Market five Great Skuas, seven Pomatorhine Skuas (one adult and six young of the 
year), and one young Arctic Skua, all of which were from Yarmouth, and, it was believed, had been killed 
near the Light-ship after a gale. 
The weight of the old Pomatorhine Skua was 1 lb. 6 oz., that of the young 1 lb. 8 oz. The colouring of 
the legs of the latter was very beautiful, — the thighs, knees, and half an inch of the tarsus beneath, and 
the joint immediately above the interdigital membranes, being beautiful cobalt-blue ; the front of the 
middle part of the tarsi pale greenish blue ; the iuterdigital membranes dark chocolate-black, resembling 
india-rubber in appearance ; under surface of the foot reddish flesh-colour ; irides brownish black ; bill 
brownish slate-colour, tips black. The feet and tarsi of the old bird were uniform dark chocolate-brown ; 
under mandible fleshy, becoming black at the tip ; basal portion of tbe upper mandible sickly yellow, the 
tip black ; irides very dark. 
The changes of plumage to which this species is subject are most perplexing, and I feel assured that 
much yet remains to be learnt respecting them. See what I have said on this subject in my account of 
Stercorarius longicaudus. 
A most perfect and singularly coloured British-killed specimen is contained in the collection of our native 
birds belonging to Viscount Hill, at Hawkstone. This individual is remarkable for its large size, for the 
length of its middle tail-feathers, and for the uniformity in the colouring of its entire plumage, which may 
be characterized as of the deepest chocolate, inclining to black ; the tarsi appear to have been black, and the 
beak also, with the exception of the culmen, which is olive. This sj)eclmen has no appearance of immaturity ; 
the two middle tail-feathers are of uniform breadth from the base to the tip, and are much longer than usual. 
Total length 22 inches ; bill 2; wing 13f ; tarsi 24; middle toe and nail 2. 
The Plate represents an adult and young bird, rather less than the natural size. 
