Birds of Ktrguelen Island. 9 



As for any danger that rabbits might overrun the land, 

 the Skuas settled that point long ago. I know that the Skua 

 is a good rabhiter, for not only did Mr. Gundersen and 

 Mr. Brechen see a rabbit being carried through the air and 

 a Skua doing battle with a full-grown one, which, however, 

 escaped, but also I counted six dead rabbits under a stone at 

 the mouth of their burrow. As for skeletons, they were 

 everywhere, and appeared far more numerous than the living 

 animals. I never saw a live rabbit unless it was running 

 straight for a definite point, so dreaded is this Skua and so 

 quick are its movements. As for stealing the spoil of our 

 guns, it was incorrigible. At lunch one day, with a freshly- 

 killed Duck lying behind one of the sportsmen, a Skua stole 

 quietly up and ate the flesh and nearly every bone of it, and 

 all this within five feet of us. On another occasion, two of 

 our men, with the second officer, wounded two Ducks. One 

 of these was about to be picked up, when down swooped 

 a Skua. It was at once severely struck on the back, and that 

 Duck was dropped, but, continuing its flight, the Skua seized 

 the other Duck and escaped. 



So interested is the Skua when gorging itself on a seal, 

 that it goes in head and shoulders, and soon becomes of a 

 sanguine colour : so unconscious of surroundings is it on 

 these occasions that one was caught with the hand. Another 

 was trying to keep its place upon a living seal's back, while 

 the animal was endeavouring to bite it and shake it off"; 

 but perhaps the seal had a wound on its back filled with 

 crustaceans, as was the case with one which we had previously 

 observed. Large pieces of seaFs flesh are swallowed by the 

 Skua on the wing. It jerks a piece upwards to get a better 

 hold, and then gulps it down ; while, if the prey be too 

 large to be carried far, the bird will settle on the water or 

 the ground, and although Gulls flock round, there is no 

 interference. With the Gulls, in fact, the Skua agrees 

 very well. 



A photograph of a Skua sitting on its nest was taken as if 

 at the bird^s own request. I had focussed the eggs, and was 

 about to open the shutter, when the Skua settled upon the eggs 

 within five feet of me. The nest is rude, and measures 15 x 12 



