BIRDS. 237 



sufficiently macerated; she then opens her mouth, and the 

 young one puts its bill into hers, and takes out the food, 

 and this is done until it is satisfied. The old bird never 

 feeds the young until she has sat some time on the ledge, how- 

 ever importunate it may be, no doubt because she feels the 

 food is not in a fit state for it to digest easily." 



In 1889 we again visited the Loch of Skaill, and saw, as 

 before, hundreds of Kittiwakes, some on the shore, some on 

 the water, others again sitting on the stones of which the small 

 artificial island is composed. They kept rather apart from the 

 colony of Black-headed Gulls which were breeding on the 

 island, sitting on the stones outside their breeding zone. 



Sub-family STERCORAEIINJE. 

 Stercorarius catarrhactes (.). Common Skua. 



A very uncommon visitant to Orkney. Messrs. Baikie and Heddle 

 only mention two instances of its occurrence, and since then 

 it seems to have been very rarely observed. Strang of Lop- 

 ness had a tame one, caught at sea, and having the webs of 

 its feet cut when taken. Writing from Sanday in 1888, Mr. 

 Harvey says they are very seldom seen there ; but that three 

 years before two Skuas killed some tame ducks on the loch at 

 Northwall. 



Mr. Moodie-Heddle saw a Common Skua off Stromness in 

 November 1887, and another a few days after at the same place. 



Stercorarius pomatorhinus (Tern.). Pomatorhine Skua. 



Apparently a very scarce bird here. One shot in Rousay on 

 November 7th, 1881, was sent to Mr. Small, Edinburgh, for 

 preservation. Another was shot on the same island by General 

 Burroughs' keeper in 1886. 



Mr. Moodie-Heddle killed a Pomatorhine Skua at Longhope 

 in the winter of 1880-1, which was shown at the Fisheries 

 Exhibition in Edinburgh ; it was given to Bailie Peace, Kirk- 

 wall. 



