124 BIRD WATCHING 



force of the swoop is tremendous, and did the bird 

 strike one full with its whole bulk, it would, I believe, 

 knock one over, as a hare, it is said, has sometimes 

 done by accident, in leaping over a hedge. After 

 this heroism, I stuck my umbrella (staff, or even 

 stick, would sound better, but it was an umbrella) 

 into the ground, arranged my plaid upon it, and walked 

 to a little distance. The birds, one after another, 

 swooped at the plaid but never hit it. As they got 

 just above it they stretched down their legs, but at 

 the last moment seemed to think something was 

 wrong, and rose, so as just to clear it. ' But out 

 upon this half-faced fellowship ! ' This dangling 

 down of the legs, in which the speed is checked 

 and the grand appearance lost, is quite pitiful. Why 

 cannot the birds fell you with a blow, or tear you with 

 the hooked beak ? This would be ' Ercle's vein, a 

 tyrant's vein,' but a flick with the feet merely — it 

 is a tame conclusion ! " 



I doubt now, if the bird ever does strike you with the 

 body even lightly. It feels as if there must be more than 

 the feet at the time, but, probably, this is not the case. 



Both the male and female of the great skua defend 

 the nest — and especially the young — in this manner, 

 but the swoopings of one of them, probably of the 

 female, are generally fiercer than those of the other. 

 In my limited experience this dual attack was almost 

 invariable, but in one instance the nest was guarded 

 by one bird alone. This bird, as though to make 

 up for the deficiency, was even more than usually 

 fierce, making long rushing swoops from a great 

 height and distance, which would, I believe, have 

 been effective each time had I not bobbed. The 



