PLATE II 

 GREAT SKUA. Stercorarius catarrhactes 



June I9///, 1897. I took this photograph of a young Great Skua as he was 

 making his way to a hiding-place. We had great difficulty in finding the two 

 young birds belonging to this nest, as they had left it the day before. However, 

 we soon found the tell-tale herrings lying about, and eventually found one of 

 the young birds hiding under a tuft of grass. I got my camera set up and 

 took his portrait as he started off to find a more secure retreat. The second 

 young bird appeared from a small ditch while I was photographing his 

 brother, but immediately hid himself again. 



While photographing another nest on an adjoining hill, I left my 

 camera standing in a somewhat unsteady situation while I retired some 

 distance off to charge my plates ; I was suddenly startled by a crash, and 

 on looking round I saw my camera lying on the ground and the Great 

 Skua making off. I never supposed that the bird would attack an inanimate 

 object. 



VOL. ii. 2 L 1 25 



