RICHARDSON'S SKUA. 499 



it lost its life, saved the colony from pillage ; for, as I had to 

 walk to Kyles that evening, I had no time to return. They 

 breed in considerable numbers on these heaths of Uist, as well 

 as in the Island of Scalpay in Harris, and in several parts of 

 Lewis, yet I have never met with its nest." 



Mr. Dunn informs us that " numbers breed in Orkney and 

 Shetland, appearing regularly in May, and leaving in August. 

 It is confined to a few situations, and is strictly preserved, 

 from the same motive as the Skua Gull. The place where I 

 found it most numerous in the former country was the Holm 

 of Eddy, and in the latter on the Island of Noss, near Lerwick. 

 It constructs its nest on low wet mossy heaths in exposed 

 situations. The female lays two eggs, and has recourse to 

 the same stratagem that the Plover employs to decoy you 

 from the nest ; but when a person approaches near to the 

 place where the nest is built, becomes bold and fierce, and 

 strikes severely with the feet and bill. A dog I had Avith 

 me on my first visit had been so repeatedly and severely 

 struck by this bird, that had he heard one cry, the sound of 

 which from experience he was perfectly familiar with, he 

 would instantly come behind me for protection, and all my 

 efforts to make him hunt again were ineffectual until we 

 had got some distance from the place. Another dog I had 

 with me on my second visit possessing more courage than 

 the former, after feeling the effects of their bills once or 

 twice, and appearing much astonished at such a foe, would 

 watch the bird pouncing at him and spring from the ground 

 to meet the attack, and by this means he escaped many severe 

 blows." 



The eggs differ greatly in size, form, and colours. The 

 largest in my collection are two inches and four-and-a-half- 

 twelfihs in length, an inch and seven-twelfths in breadth, 

 the smallest is two inches and two-twelfths by an inch and 

 five-twelfths. Generally they are ovato-pyriform, sometimes 

 ovato-oblong, more rarely broadly ovate, like those of a Gull 

 or Mew. The ground-colour is brownish-green, olivaceous, 

 umber-brown, light yellowish-brown, pale yellowish-grey, or 

 light greyish-green ; spotted and patched with umber or 

 blackish-brown and purplish-grey. Even the young, which 



