822 



THE NATURE BOOK 



the birds carrying food to their young, 

 and it is practically certain that even 

 the large herrings are first swallowed 

 and then disgorged for the young ones 

 when the nest is reached. It seems 

 incredible that the puffin could be treated 



ground within reasonable distance of the 

 nest he has selected, he crawls along, 

 crouching so close to the ground that the 

 Skua's attack loses all its sting, and sub- 

 mitting to repeated buffeting, he philo- 

 sophically consoles himself with an egg. 



THE GREAT SKUA SOAKING AFTER ATTACK. 



in this way, yet their presence has to 

 be accounted for. Clawed though the 

 Skua's feet are, they are webbed and could 

 scarcely grip their quarry as a falcon does, 

 and I have never seen a puffin venture 

 of its own accord inland to trespass on 

 the Skua's domain. 



The Raven alone dares to brave the 

 Bonxie's wrath and even plunder his nest 

 with the characteristic cunning of the crow 

 tribe. His usual method of fighting, or 

 rather of self-defence, consists in turning 

 on his back in mid-air, and presenting 

 his powerful claws, on which his enemy 

 rushes to his own ruin. But even the 

 Raven's confidence in his own powers 

 melts before the Bonxie's terrifying on- 

 slaught, and he achieves by stealth what 

 he is denied by force. Aligliting on the 



Wandering on, I became aware that 

 each pair of birds had its own special 

 portion of ground. The moment I 

 entered upon their territory they com- 

 menced their attack, and escorted me, 

 with their somewhat embarrassing atten- 

 tions, till I reached the farther bound- 

 ary, when another pair took up the 

 task. Perhaps one had moments of 

 resentment when the blow was especially 

 severe, but it was easy enough to keep 

 them at a distance by carrying a stick 

 over the shoulder ; and, after all, one could 

 not but respect the bold defence of their 

 offspring and pay a sUght tribute to the 

 pirate of the air, whom the Foula folk 

 used to prize because he drove off the 

 marauding white-tailed eagles and thus 

 protected their lambs. 



A. T- R- Roberts. 



