176 



A. L. V. Manniche. 



certain types of Laras ridibundus-eggs, that I could not find any 

 difference by later comparison. 



As far as I could notice the sexes divided the breeding duties 

 evenly between themselves. 



The positure of the bird while breeding is high the neck and 

 head erected. 



While the one bird broods, the other guards its mate and the 

 hunting-territory. 



As soon as a bird of the same species or another larger bird 

 appears upon the scene, the watching bird utters a long penetrating 



Fig. 16. Buffons Skua on nest. 



cry and attacks the unwellcome guest; having chased him off, the 

 Skua again takes its seat near the brooding mate. 



If you approach the nest both Skuas will fly towards you and 

 almost strike your head with their wings, all the while uttering their 

 short "krryw" "krryw". The nearer you come to the nest the more 

 anxious and offensive are the Skuas, 



If you retire some 50 meter, the bird will quickly settle upon 

 the nest again. 



The clamourousness and fearlessness of the bird make it easy 

 to discover nearly every nest even on a most extensive territory. 



If the eggs be removed from the nest, the Skua will never- 

 theless as a rule lie down upon the nest for some few minutes. 

 In a certain case I saw a bird lying more than half an hour upon 

 the empty nest. 



