438 ICE-BOUND ON KOLGUEV 



COLYMBIDvE 



Stercorarius pomatorhinus (temminck). Pomatorhiae Skua. 

 Pomornik scrednic (R.). Houriou (S.). 



We saw a few examples of the twist-tailed skua near the sea, but I 

 have no reason to believe they nest on Kolguev. 



S. crepidatus (J. t. gmelin). Arctic Skua. 

 Pomornik-tschujeadnui. 



We saw a great deal of the Arctic Skua. I have spoken of them earlier 

 in this book in connection with Bewick's swan and the grey plover. 

 Although greatly dependent when at sea upon the labours of other 

 gulls, the breeding pairs are as persistent robbers of eggs as rooks in a 

 dry season, and may be constantly seen quartering the tundra for eggs 

 or young. I should be inclined to estimate that of breeding birds on 

 Kolguev there is about one pair to every seven square miles of country. 

 We never found a colony, nor even two pairs together. All those I 

 saw belonged to the light-coloured race. On June 29 we took eggs 

 about half incubated. The nest was among dead water-grass in a bog, 

 and was more than a mere depression for grasses had been walled into 

 a lining. A nest containing one egg (July 7), was a simple depres- 

 sion in dry grass : this egg had a remarkable escape. We were driving 

 along — four sleighs, which meant eighteen reindeer — when I called 

 out to Hyland who was in front to stop ; for some 30 yards or so 

 away, a pair of skuas were behaving as though they had a nest. How- 

 ever, we could make nothing of it, and had just taken our seats again 

 to start off, when as I stooped down to disengage the hind leg of 

 one of my deer, lo and behold, there was the nest under my sleigh. 

 The whole train of sleighs had passed over this nest, and yet the 

 single egg was not broken. On August 7. ' We picked up a young 

 skua and brought it back alive. This bird was almost full grown and 

 had well-developed primaries. Its parents showed no anxiety about it. 

 It was beside a lake, and as we approached ran and hid in some 

 grasses. It bit viciously, but made no noise.' 



