McCORMICK'S SKUA GULL 



the ground, and may be seen picking about among 

 the stones Hke the little domestic chickens, which 

 they very much resemble. After a time invariably 

 one of the chicks disappears, and as dead youngsters 

 are not to be found, they are probably eaten by 

 neighbours who have caught them wandering ; in 

 fact, Mr. Ferrar, of Captain Scott's first expedition, 

 actually saw a Skua pick up a wandering chick of 

 its own species and fly off with it, followed by a 

 screaming flock of its neighbours, who sought to 

 rob it of its prey. 



In order to find out how many eggs a Skua 

 would lay, I marked some nests, and took the eggs 

 as they were laid. In each case a second egg was 

 laid, but when this was taken no more appeared. 

 In two nests I removed the first egg as soon as it 

 was laid, but left the second, which was then sat 

 upon by the parent, who was content with it, or 

 unable to lay a third. 



When any of us approached their nests the old 

 birds would fly round in wide circles, making wild 

 " stoops " at our heads each time they passed over 

 us, in the evident attempt to frighten us away. 

 Occasionally they would actually knock our heads 

 with a wing, and nothing seeming to scare them off, 

 they would swoop past us time after time in a most 



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