232 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



Prions, with the meat torn off of them by these gulls, which leave behind 

 the bones and feathers. 



"The Antarctic Skua is very similar in appearance to the large northern 

 Skua, of which a figure is given here in default of better. The two species 

 were at first considered by naturalists to be identical ; they differ, how- 

 ever, especially in the structure of the bill. The Skua is of a dark brown 

 colour, not unlike that of most of the typical birds of prey. We met with 

 the bird constantly afterwards on our southern voyage, as far down even 

 as the Antarctic Circle ; and a specimen was noticed by Ross further south 

 still, in Possession Island." 



Nightingale Island, Tristan da Cunha, October, 1873. "Besides the 

 mollymauks and petrels, one or two pairs of Skuas had nests on a few 

 mounds of earth in the rookery. How these mounds came there I could 

 not understand. 



"The Skuas' eggs are closely like those of the lesser black-backed gull, 

 and two in number. The birds swooped about our heads as we robbed 

 the nests, but were not nearly so fierce as those we encountered further 

 south. All round their nests were scattered skeletons of Prions." 



Marion Island, Prince Edward Islands, December, 1873. "There 

 were numerous nests of the Skua about amongst the herbage in dry 

 places. Two nests of these birds are never built near together. The 

 birds always have a wide range of hunting ground round their nest. 

 The Skuas in Marion Island were extremely bold and savage, as they 

 were also in Kerguelen's Land. When one approaches the nest they 

 swoop down, passing with a rush close down to one's head, whizzing past 

 one's ears in a most unpleasant manner. 



"The two birds take turns at towering above, and thus swooping. They 

 have sharp claws and beaks, and no doubt would injure one's face or eyes 

 severely if they touched them as they passed. One has to beat them off 

 with a stick or gun barrel. They are very clever in avoiding the stick as 

 they rush past, but several were knocked down. Sometimes I have had 

 to waste a charge on them to get rid of them. Some pairs are much more 

 savage than others. They have a harsh cry. Of course, when their young 

 is handled they are most furious, and one has to keep a stick going as one 

 carries it off. The birds are very like the Northern Skuas in their habits. 

 One of them swooped down on a duck which I had shot one day at Ker- 

 guelen's Land which fell in the water. The bird picked it up when I was 



