cs 7 
and though rarely hitting, the rush and wind of their wings is very startling when the attack 
is made from behind and unperceived. 
VI. Protection. 
Wild Birds Protection Act, 1880.—These birds appear in the Schedule, which applies 
to every county in England, Scotland, and Ireland. Any owner, occupier, or other person, 
taking, killing, ete.,a Skua during close season,* or possessing or selling a Skua after 15th 
March, is liable to a penalty of £1 for each bird. 
Wild Birds Protection Act, 1894—The eggs are protected in the following 
counties :— 
Great Skua or Bonxie.—Scotianp: Zetland. 
Richardson’s Skua.—Scotianp : Argyll (Isles of Islay, Colonsay, Coll, and Tiree) 
Zetland. 
Any owner, occupier, or other person, taking or destroying eggs of specified Skuas in above- 
named places, is liable to a penalty of £1 for each egg. 
bd 
Wild Birds Protection Act, 1896.—In addition to any penalty under the Act of 
1880, the Court may now order any trap, net, snare, etc., used by the offender to be forfeited, 
VII. Remarks. 
Unless especially looked for, Skuas are not birds at all likely to be met with by the 
ordinary individual except he invades their breeding haunts. Visitors to the seaside, 
however, more especially when engaged in the exciting sport of hand-line fishing in the 
autumn, may have their attention drawn to them when one of these birds shows itself in its 
most characteristic manner. Perhaps the fish are not taking very well, and he is idly 
watching a flock of gulls hovering over a shoal of small fish, when a dark-plumaged bird 
passes the boat with a very hawk-like flight, and dashes into the assembled birds. Instantly 
there isa general stampede, but the Skua (for such is the dark, hawk-like bird), having marked 
a gull or tern with his maw full of fish, goes straight for it. Up and down, trying to 
escape in every possible way of flight, goes the gull, persistently followed by the Skua, 
getting an occasional blow if obstinate, until with a loud shriek of disgust it ejects its 
hard-earned prey, when the Skua, shooting downward, catches the morsel before it reaches 
the water, and almost invariably goes straight away with it. The bird thus seen is generally 
the commonest of all the species, Richardson’s Skua. 
If you invade this same bird’s. haunts when breeding, and approach his nest, more 
especially if you have a dog with you, he will boldly advance to the fray. The dog will be 
the first one to suffer, and if not used to their ways, after one or two unsuccessful attempts 
to catch the bird as he swoops down on him, will give it up, and keep close to your 
heels in a state of terror at such an unusual attack, a complete upsetting of his preconceived 
notion of anything with feathers on it. Then comes your turn, and although you may be quite 
used to this style of treatment, yet the sharp whish and rush of air, with perhaps a slight 
touch of a wing, at times when you are not thinking of it, causes an involuntary shiver 
and ducking of the head. They are fine, bold birds, and well worth watching in their breeding 
haunts. 
Curiously enough, although they attack gulls in the manner before described, yet both 
parties breed together. One place in Orkney we came across was covered with nests of the 
Lesser Black-backed Gull, and a large number of Richardson’s Skuas’ nests were scattered 
* Generally from 1st March to 31st July, but in some counties from Ist February to 3lst August in 
each year. A further period may be obtained through the Act of 1896. 
