H4 NEIGHBOURS UNKNOWN 



their fierce yellow beaks over the brink and 

 peered down with predaceous eyes. For 

 many of them the temptation was not to be 

 resisted. With hoarse cries they launched 

 themselves downward, and joined deliriously 

 in the scramble. 



About level with the crest of the cliff, some 

 half dozen of the dusky skuas were sailing 

 leisurely. They saw their chance. There 

 was nothing in the world more to their taste 

 than eggs and particularly the big, rich eggs 

 of the great saddle- back gulls. Down they 

 swooped upon the unguarded nests ; and in a 

 moment, plunging their long beaks through the 

 shells, they were feasting greedily. All around 

 them sat the other gulls, by the hundred 

 faithful ones who had resisted temptation and 

 stuck to their nests. These screamed angrily, 

 but made no attempt to interfere. " Let 

 each look out for his own " was frankly their 

 policy. Before any of the delinquent brooders 

 came back, the skuas had cleared out every 

 unguarded nest, and sailed off with derisive 

 cries. 



And so it came about that an unwonted 

 number of saddle-backs, freed from domestic 

 ties until they should be ready to lay new 

 clutches of eggs, but very savage and vin- 

 dictive for all their release, now came flapping 



