ARCTIC SKUA.
commanded the whale of the floe. After carefully welching the male through the glasses for nearly an
hour, he was at length marked down. When driven up from the eggs he showed far greater animosity,
Bathing down within the distance of ten or twenty yards, hut not Venturing to make the slightest attack on us
or on a retriever following close to my heels. Being anxious to procure both male and female in order to
investigate the colouring of the sexes, I experienced hut little difficulty with the former; hut after the death of
her mate the female became still more wary, and it was not till after several hours' delay that a shot was
obtained : these birds ore figured in Plate I I I . A week or so later other nests were met with in the same
district: in no instance were they placed in close proximity to one another or, indeed, within some hundreds of
yards of the quarters of the Culls. The birds varied considerably in their attitude towards intruders, some
few pairs being far more demonstrative than others, though I failed to recognize the audacity occasioually
ascribed to them by some writers.
The young in the earliest stage wero covered with a soot-coloured down. After the eggs were hatched
the parent bird- manifested increased disapproval at the invasion of their haunts.
In most of the pairs which came under observation, one of the birds was in the dark- and the other in the
white-breasted plumage. A few pairs were noticed in which both birds exhibited the light-coloured plumage,
though 1 was unable to detect a single couple where both were black.
In this district the principal food of the Arctic Skua is without doubt the young of the salmon ; no other
lish were detected in any of the specimens obtained on these moors. The stomach of every bird that was
inspected contained from two to five smolts.
Tire Common Gulls, which breed iu numbers round some of the lochs in the neighbourhood, capture these
silvery little fish in the shallows of the rivers, and ore forced to deliver up their prey when attacked.
1 m Iwo or three occasions, while follow iug the course of a gully or burn across the moors, I came suddenly,
w itbiu the distance of one hundred yards, upon a few pairs of Skuas resting quietly on the muss-covered mounds
so commonly seen on these flats. On examining the spots from which they rose, I discovered several castings
composed entirely of small pieces of egg-shell. In almost every instance the fragments, so far as I was able to
judge, appeared to have belonged to the eggs of sea-fowl, the I USUI Black-backed or Common Gull (iu all
probability the latter) having been I be principal sufferers. On a subsequent occasion a more careful examination
of the remains led to the belief that the nests of Grouse and Plover had been plundered, though it was by no
means easy to form a decided opinion. These mounds were evidently a favourite resort to which the robbers
retired for repose in order to digest their food, "When viewed at a distance through the glasses, I now and then
detected some of their number squatted on the moss with their heads either drawn down between their shoulders
or turned over and partially concealed among the feathers of the back ; one or two were, however, invariably
on the alert, and the scream of a passing Gull, or even the low whistle of a startled Plover or Dunlin, would
instantly bring the whole party to their feet.
During the latter part of May 1S0S a few single Skuas of this species were occasionally seen sweeping over
Loch Marco and other huge sheets of fresh water in the west of Ross-shire. I did not, however, meet with any
breeding-quarters in that locality , and it i- probable l bat t! osc si rngglers were from the Outer Hebrides. Though
the tints on the breasts of the birds observed iu this district varied from white to a pale clouded grey, I did not
recognize a single dark specimen.
Early in August a few of the Skuas in perfect hi ding-plumage u-ually show themselves oil' the southeast
coast of Scotland, gradually increasing in numbers as the autumn advances. My notes jotted down during
several years contain references to the appearance of these birds oil the coast of Bast Lothian at about the same
date; the numbers, however, that approach the land vary considerably. In 1S71 I paid particular attention to
this species during a three mouths' residence at Canty Bay ; a few extracts from my journal may give some idea
of the habits of Skuas while on their passage south for the winter.
ARCTIC SKUA.
The earliest entry referring to these birds is under date of August 11th to 18th. Wind during these
days exceedingly squally and from all quarters. Two or three email parties, all apparently Arctic Skuas,
Hying slowly head to wind, were noticed halfway between the Bass and the land. On the l'Jtb,
line with light west wind, several Skuas passed the boat a few miles outside the Bass: the distance, however,
was almost too great to judge accurately as to the species, although I was able to detect some Poinalorhine. A
couple of days later, with the wind east, Skuas of both species were busy round the boat while shoo!big longlines.
The 22nd was stormy, with a strong breeze from the west; starling early from Canty Bay, we sailed
alongshore halfway to Dunbar; but though thousands of Gulls were resting along the rocks, only two Arctic
Skua- Here seen. In the afternoon, while hauling the long-line, which a few heavy i govs bad succeeded ill
entangling among the rocks in such inextricable confusion that it had to be out four limes and grappled ere the
whole was recovered, numbers of Gulls gathered round the boat, and iu pursuit of these came several
Arctic Skuas, most of them being dark with long tnils. Dead Kiltiwakes, I soon learned, we re exeeedingly
useful as decoys; u few flung up in the air would usually draw any passing Skuas; it was then possible to
examine their plumage, and with but little trouble any desirable specimen could be procured. While fishing
alongshore on the 25th, Skuas, principally Arctic, were passing cast and west iu pursuit of Gulls. For
several days, commencing on the 20th, we joined the fleet of boats that sail from North Berwick, shooting
their long-lines either between Fidra and the Bass or other parts or the Firth, according to the wind. The
lines are hauled short ly after daybreak ; and as soon as the operation commences, Kiltiwakes collect iu hundreds
round the boats. The smaller baddies and w hit iug, being of no value for the market, are usually dashed by the
fishermen against the side of the boat in order to free them from the hook, and in this manner save trouble
previous to coiling the line. The hungry Gulls, evidently well acquainted with the whole of the proceeding,
meanw bile hover round within o few yards, and whenever a diminutive lish emerges from the water, at once draw
nearer, and darting down secure their prey l«-forc it reaches the waves, snatching many within a fool of the
boats. A short distance outside this busy throng the Skuas arc eagerly awaiting their share. No sooner does
a Kittíwake, after bin ingsecured a fish or two, attempt to make off, than it is assailed and forced to disgorge its
meal. Su ravenous are these pirates that two or three may often be seen ia pursuit of one unfortunate Gull. I
remarked thai Skuas would not commence an attack on the \ iei i in thej bad singled out while he was on the wafer.
A Kittiwake that, had evidently fared sumptuously, and was either too full or too frightened to rise, attracted
my attention by bis endeavours to avoid three Arctic Skuas sw burning round and frustrating every attempt at
escape. Whichever way the poor bin! turned he was invariably headed, though his persecutors neither molested
bint in the slightest degree nor even appoached within the distance of two or three feet. EToW this evidently
well-planned conspiracy would have terminated I had no opportunity of learning, as a number of fresh Skuas
arriving round one of the other lmats, I was forced to take an unfair advantage and turn over these birds by a
sitting shot, a couple of them being iu a stale of pluange 1 was anxious lo examine. Though the lirst-eomers
that made their appearance along the coast were all in adult breeding-dress, there were by this time several
exhibiting a mixed slate of plumage ; no young uf the year bail, however, as vet pul in an appearance. But
lew Skuas showed themselves round the boats on the 2Sth : two or three I'omatorhines were, however, shot, as
well as a couple of especially black-pluiuaged Arctic. These two birds, I ascertained, were male and reñíale;
and it certainly appears t hat I here is no rule as to the colouring of the sex.-s. On the 211th the smaller Skuas
wero again numerous, Iboiigb Pomatorhine were noticed at a distance, nearly all Hying west at a considerable
height. One very small white-breasted Arctic Skua, a male, was shot; the plumage was perfect, but the
long tail-feather- were missing. Another well-marked specimen, a » bit i -breasted bird with lung tail-feathers,
proved to he a female. Constant squalls of rain and w bid from flic 31st (o September 5th, several Skuas of
hot h species being seen alongshore. '1'he weather was line and still on the Mb, and soon after dav break we H en;
again out w it la the boats hauling long-lines ; Arctic Skuas appeared in grout numbers, i hough not ah ivc half a