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THE POMARINE SKUA. Lestris pomarinus. This is a 

 winter visitor to the British Islands, and is not known to 

 breed within their range. The eggs are described as "two 

 or three in number, and of a yellowish-grey colour spotted 

 with blackish-brown." 



BICHARDSON'S SKUA. Lestris Rickardsonii. We have 

 in the present species the most common of the British Skuas, 

 breeding numerously in the Orkney and Shetland Islands, as 

 also in the Hebrides. In the former islands is it protected 

 from the same motive as is the Common Skua. In the Ork- 

 neys they are most numerous at a place called the Holm of 

 Eddy, in the island of Hoy, and in the Shetlands, on the 

 island of Noss, near Lerwiek ; but these are not the only 

 breeding-stations in these groups. What is rather remark- 

 able, as noticed by Mr. Hewitson, is, that while in these 

 islands they breed in societies, sometimes amounting to fifty 

 or sixty together, on the coast of Norway, they seldom 

 breed more than one or two pairs upon each island. The 

 nest is placed on some slight eminence, in low, wet, mossy 

 heaths, and in exposed situations; and the eggs, two in 

 number, are of a fine rich olive-green beautifully marked 

 with brown. Mr. Hewitson says of the birds : " They are 

 merciless persecutors of the other species of sea-birds in 



