94 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



too, incontrovertibly confirms, of the influence which 

 thoughtless man is continuously and culpably exerting 

 to thin the numbers of, if not to exterminate from 

 amongst us, the charming companions which the 

 Creator has formed for our mutual enjoyment. 



The island of Cava hove now upon our right, and 

 after cruising along its rocky shore I landed upon its 

 southern side, Several terns were dancing in the air, 

 and I here first made the acquaintance of Richardson's 

 skua (Lestris Richardsoni), one of the tribe of parasite 

 gulls, flying with hawk-like swiftness along the shingly 

 slope, until it disappeared from view beyond a mass of 

 supervening rock. They maintain an unceasing 

 warfare with the terns, bullying the poor little birds to 

 such an extent that they are obliged to eject the food 

 they have obtained, which the skua immediately 

 swallows. There were several oystercatchers on the 

 rocks, and on the opposite side I found a greater 

 black-backed gull feeding, but did not succeed in 

 bagging him. 



We now sailed round the island of Fara, and along 

 the shores of Flota island. These islands consist of a 

 shapeless mass of rock, more or less precipitous ; the 

 short close turf which crowns their summits affording 

 subsistence, such as it is, to the few sheep generally to 

 be found upon them. Plenty of dunlin, plover, sand- 

 pipers, &c., were running here and there amongst the 

 stones and pebbles. It was in these narrow straits 



