RICHARDSON'S SKUA. 595 



from Mr. St. John's "Wild Sports of the Highlands" : 

 " I was much amused the other day by the proceedings of 

 a pair of the Black-toed Gull or Boatswain. These two 

 birds were sitting quietly on an elevated ridge of sand, 

 near which a number of other Gulls of different kinds 

 were fishing and hovering about in search of what the 

 waves might cast up. Every bird, indeed, was busy and 

 employed, excepting these two black robbers, who seemed 



to be quietly resting, quite unconcerned. When, how- 

 ever, a Gull had picked up a prize, these birds seemed 

 instinctively to know it, and darting off with the rapidity 

 of a Hawk (which bird they much resemble in their 

 manner of flight), they attacked the unfortunate Gull in 

 the air, and, in spite of his screams and attempts to escape, 

 they pursued and beat him till he disgorged the fish or 

 whatever he had swallowed, when one of them darted 

 QQ2 



