iq6 The Irish Naturalist. September, 



his bright eye observant of all around him. Presently he 

 skimmed down and shot along with great rapidity over the 

 rocks, alighting about two hundred yards off, ready to pursue 

 the incautious shore bird which perchance came his wa}'. 



Wednesday, September 23rd. — A beautiful bright calm day 

 tempted Mr. Wilkins and me to engage a boat and scull round 

 the islands. On the pier we picked up a young Guillemot 

 stoned to death, its legs being broken in several places.^ We 

 had hardly left the pier when we observed great numbers of 

 Common Terns fishing. The rocks which fringe the islands 

 were also tenanted by vast quantities of these birds, which 

 were accompanied by Black-headed and Herring Gulls. Kitti- 

 wakes were also present, but in much smaller numbers. Our 

 interest was soon aroused by the presence of a Skua, and we 

 witnessed some exciting chases after Gulls and Terns. Several 

 times we saw the ejected fish snatched up in the air by the 

 pursuer. As I purpose giving a detailed account of the 

 feeding-habits of this ' pirate ' gull in a separate paper, I now 

 pass on without further reference. Suffice it to say that the 

 species in question was the Arctic Skua, and from its sooty 

 brownish-black upper parts and white throat, breast, and abdo- 

 men (these contrast colours being clearly defined), I considered 

 the bird was an adult and belonged to the light-breasted form. 

 After spending four hours in watching chiefly the feeding 

 habits of this bird, we turned our backs on the island and made 

 for the pier, not, however, until we had made friends with a 

 big seal which, seeing that we did not intend to harm him, 

 came closer and closer to the boat until his snorting became 

 distinctly audible. On the rocks near the pier were perched 

 numbers of Terns. Among the immature birds we could dis- 

 cern two plumage-phases : those birds in which the chestnut 

 markings were still retained on the back and shoulders, and 

 those which had lost these markings and were replaced by 



^ On our way back we picked up a Razorbill with its wiugs fractured, 

 and several other specimens were also picked up with similar injuries 

 during my visit. Tlie detestable practice of stoning these innocent birds 

 when they come close to the rocks should be strongly deprecated. On 

 several occasions I hunted the 1)oys away, but I fear the practice is in- 

 dulged in to a large extent. I hope that bird-lovers, who may be at 

 vSkerries when the Razorbills and Guillemots are in numbers about the 

 rocks, will exercise their inlluence in stopping this cruelty. 



