104 NEIGHBOURS UNKNOWN 



from their nests out to the fishing grounds, 

 and back with their prey to the nests. Above 

 their little domain, therefore, the honey- 

 combed south-sloping field, there were no 

 soaring or whirling wings, save for three or 

 four pirate skuas, on the watch for a chance 

 of robbery. 



It was these marauders that the waiting 

 puffin by his nest door, on the outskirts of the 

 colony, had most dread of. He was a wise 

 old bird, of several seasons' experience and 

 many a successful battle ; and he knew that 

 the light-darting skua, though not much more 

 than half the size of that bully of the cliffs, 

 the saddle-back, was much more dangerous 

 than the latter because so much more courage- 

 ous. An impatient croak from the hungry 

 nestling in the burrow made him poke his big 

 beak inside and utter a low, chuckling admoni- 

 tion. When he withdrew his head and looked 

 up, he fluffed the feathers on his neck and 

 opened his beak angrily. A large skua, of a 

 rusty, mottled black all over, with long tail 

 and long, hawk-like wings, was circling above 

 him, staring down at him with savage eyes. 



Just a moment or two before this the hen 

 puffin, fishing out at sea, had marked a plump 

 herring about a foot below the surface of a 

 transparent, glassy roller. Diving into the 



