BIRD NOTES FROM LONG ISLAND, N. Y. 
BY WILLIAM DUTCHER. 
i. Megalestris skua. Skua. —Mr. M. F. King, one of the 
crew of the Life Saving Station at Amagansett, Suffolk Co., sent 
to me, in the flesh, a specimen of this species. Lie informed me 
that he found the bird March 17^ 1886, in a large piece of ice 
which had formed on the meadow back of the beach. He also 
stated that January 9, the tides were exceedingly high, by reason 
of a very severe northeast storm and gale of wind. Lie thought 
the bird probably died near the shore and was driven by the 
very violent surf and wind to where it was found. The high tide 
was followed immediately by very cold weather, which encased 
this bird in its icy tomb, thus preserving it until found, and per¬ 
mitting a new record for Long Island and the third and most 
southern one for North America.* Mr. King stated further that 
no ice was driven on the beach during the past winter, therefore 
the bird must have died while on or near the beach. It is prob¬ 
able that it died of starvation, as it was very much emaciated. 
The sex could not be determined, as the viscera had commenced 
to decompose. 
* The previous records may be found in Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, III, 1878 , p. 188 ; 
Auk, I, 1884 , p. 395 . 
Auk, 3, Oct., 1886. p, qJl -JJ. 
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