" It will swoop threateningly at the head of the intruder ... or hang in mid-air just over him." 



THE ARCTIC SKUA 



T 



HE Arctic, or Richardson's 

 Skua as it is frequently 

 called, is an interesting, 

 although by no means 

 lovable, bird. If members 

 of the feathered world had 

 such a place as a prison 

 house in which to punish 

 the outlaws of their race, this robber 

 and bully of the air would be one of 

 the first to go there. Instead of working 

 for its own livelihood the Arctic Skua 

 battens upon the labours of others. 

 Patiently watching until it sees one of 

 the smaller gulls catch a fish, it gives 

 chase and pursues the unfortunate fisher- 

 man hither and thither, up and down, 

 until, harried and terrified to the point 

 of distraction, the luckless creature is 



compelled to drop its prey. Once this 

 desired end has been accomplished, the 

 Skua changes its course, and with a 

 rapid downward plunge frequently 

 secures the dead fish before it can 

 reach the surface of the sea below. 



When a gull that has just made a 

 catch shows any reluctance about rising 

 from the water the impatient robber 

 above induces it to do so by swooping 

 at its head. Cases have been known 

 where an obstinate bird that would not 

 rise into the air has been struck and 

 killed by the enraged marauder. 



This species has not the redeeming 

 quality of courage which distinguishes 

 its larger and more powerful relative, 

 the Common Skua. I have been struck 

 on the back of my head and had my 



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