REMARKABLE PUGNACITY OF THE SKUA. 329 



summer the most frequent visitor on our coasts. Almost 

 exclusively maritime in its habits, it never ventures inland 

 like the other species, but contents itself with the food that 

 it obtains on the sea. 



The Skuas are ranked by naturalists in successive order 

 after the gulls, who find in them determined antagonists. 

 Armed with a powerful bill, the skua is capable of doing 

 much mischief. It is related that one of these birds, which 

 had received a slight injury in the wing-joint, was taken, 

 and sent by the captain of a vessel on shore, in charge of a 

 sailor^ with instructions that the bird should be killed and 

 stuffed. The sailor opening the basket in which it was 

 confined rather hastily, the skua dashed ferociously at him, 

 striking with its bill and buffeting with its wings, drawing 

 blood with every successive stroke it made, until at last the 

 sailor drew out his clasp-knife in self-defence, but so deter- 

 mined was the bird, that had not a table-cloth been thrown 

 over it, the contest would have been of long duration. 



The pugnacity of the skua is remarkable. No sooner 

 does a skua observe an eagle within its domains than it 

 makes a violent attack upon him. Mr. Drosier relates a 

 very interesting anecdote on this subject. He was stand- 

 ing at the foot of the loftiest hill in Foula, Shetland : " an 

 eagle was returing to his eyrie, situated on the face of the 

 western crags, in appearance perfectly unconscious of ap- 

 proaching so near to his inveterate foe, as, in general, the 

 eagle returns to the rocks from the sea without even cross- 

 ing the smallest portion of'the island. As I was intently 

 observing the majestic flight of the bird, on a sudden he 

 altered his direction and descended hurriedly, as if in the 

 act of pouncing. In a moment five or six skuas passed ON^er 

 my head with astonishing rapidity, their wings partly 

 closed and perfectly steady, without the slighest waver or 

 irregularity. The gulls soon came up with the eagle, as 

 their descent was very rapid, and a desperate engagement 



