A HISTORY OF ESSEX 257. Lesser Black-backed Gull. Larus fuscus, 270. Puffin. Fratercula arctica (Linn.). Linn. Locally, Great Cob or Saddleback. An uncommon winter visitor to the sea round our coast from autumn to spring. As the foregoing. Some remain during Occasionally found far inland after rough the summer but do not breed. 258. Great Black - backed Gull. Larus marinus, Linn. As the foregoing. A record that it formerly bred in the county seems doubtful (see Birds of Essex, p. 264). 259. Glaucous Gull. Larus glaucus, Fabricius. A rare and occasional winter visitor. 260. Iceland Gull. Larus leucopterus, Faber. A scarce winter visitor. One was shot near Brightlingsea on January i, 1887, and another in Harwich Harbour on December 3, 1892 (Kerry). 261. Kittiwake. Rtssa trtdactyla (Linn.). A winter visitor. Common on the coast and often driven inland by storms. 262. Great Skua. Megalestrts catarrhactes (Linn.). Locally, Turd-bird or Dung-eater. A rare winter visitor to our coast. 263. Pomatorhine Skua. Stercorarius poma- torhinus (Temminck). An occasional winter visitor to our coast. 264. Richardson's Skua. Stercorarius crepi- datus (Gmelin). An uncommon winter visitor to our coast. 265. Buffon's Skua. Stercorarius parasiticus (Linn.). An occasional winter visitor to our coast. 266. Razorbill. Aka torda, Linn. Fairly common at sea round our coast from autumn to spring. There are in the county no breeding sites suited to its needs. 267. Guillemot. Uria troile (Linn.). As the foregoing. The ' ringed ' variety is met with occasionally. 268. Black Guillemot. Uria grylle (Linn.). A rare winter visitor. One was shot at Mersea in December 1869. weather. Great Northern Diver. Colymbus glacia- Ks, Linn. Locally, Loon or Sprat-loon. Fairly common at sea off our coast during winter. 272. Black-throated Diver. Colymbus arcticus, Linn. As the foregoing, but less common. After severe storms individuals are sometimes found far inland. 273. Red-throated Diver. Colymbus septen- trionalis, Linn. Locally, Sprat-loon. As the foregoing, but very much more abundant. 274. Great Crested Grebe. Podicipes cristatus (Linn.). An uncommon winter visitor to our coast. It has bred in the county, so far as is known, on one occasion only near Walton-on-the- Naze in 1888 (see Birds of Essex, p. 275). 275. Red-necked Grebe. Podicipes griseigena (Boddaert). An uncommon visitor to our coast from autumn to spring. 276. Slavonian Grebe. Podicipes auritus (Linn.). As the foregoing. 277. Eared Grebe. Podicipes nigricollis (Brehm). As the foregoing. 278. Little Grebe or Dabchick. Podicipes ftuviatilis (Tunstall). A resident, I believe, in all or nearly all parts of the county, but scarce everywhere except on and near the coast, where it breeds in decreasing numbers in the marsh ditches. 279. Storm-Petrel. Procellaria pelagica, Linn. A winter visitor, generally seen when blown in towards the coast by severe storms, by which it is often driven far inland. 280. 269. Little Auk. Mergulus alle (Linn.). 280. Leach's Fork-tailed Petrel. Oceanodroma An irregular winter visitor : sometimes leucorrhoa (Vieillot). not uncommon, especially after severe storms, A rare straggler, occasionally blown inland by which it is occasionally driven far inland. by severe storms during winter. 252
