THE POMARINE SKUA. 
71 
By H. CHARBONNIER. 
Six specimens of Lestris Pomatorhinus (Tern.) — ^The Pomarine, 
or Pomatorine, Skua, obtained in November, 1879, were exhibited. 
No. I, shot at the New Passage. 
2 & 3, „ Clevedon. 
4 „ 5 ; » Filey. 
6 „ Scarborough. 
Several other specimens were obtained in the neighbourhood, 
one at Chew Magna and two more at Clevedon. The plumage 
was singularly varied, no two being alike. Nos. 5 and 6 were 
birds of the year, in the barred stage, and with the centre tail 
feathers projecting half-an-inch beyond the others ; Nos. 2, 3, 
and 4 were old birds, with more, or less, of white on the breast 
and pale yellow on the sides of the head. The centre tail feathers 
were unfortunately broken off short in these three specimens. 
No. I was in the intermediate stage, upper parts brown, throat, 
breast, and tail coverts, white barred with brown, a faint tinge of 
yellow on the sides of the head, and the centre tail feathers two and- 
a-half inches longer than the others. 
L. Pomatorhinus closely resembles L. Richardsonii in some of 
its stages, but can always be distinguished on accurate measure- 
ment by its superior size. Like the rest of the Skuas these birds 
are predaceous in habit, living by plundering the Gulls and other 
birds of their prey. They are rare in England ; and I have never 
heard of their occurrence within our district before. They are 
