PLATE I 

 RICHARDSON'S SKUA. Stercorariits crepidatus 



June igth, 1897. The two eggs depicted in this Plate were photographed at 

 a colony in the north of Unst, Shetland. Although many of the eggs were 

 already hatched I found plenty of nests with two eggs, and some with 

 only one. 



While I was looking about for suitable nests to photograph, I was struck 

 by the angry birds two or three times, my cap being knocked off. It was 

 most interesting to see their antics on the ground when they tried to draw 

 my attention from their eggs or young ; they would lie on their sides and 

 flap their wings, or flutter along as if wounded. One light-breasted bird lay 

 right on its back quite still for a few seconds, and then rolled over, beating 

 its wings. 



I saw them chasing each other at a great height, calling incessantly 

 ' kitti aa kitti aa,' just like the Kittiwakes, and sometimes darting down 

 with a tremendous rushing noise. 



They had a peculiar habit of sitting quite motionless for some length of 

 time on the top of a hillock, especially when I lay down to watch them to 

 their nests. 



