in the Summer of 1828. $23 
birds possess an inveterate dislike against the eagle and raven ; 
for no sooner does the broad and rounded wing of the eagte 
appear emerging from his rocky habitation amid the cliffs, 
than the skua descends upon him from the tops of the moun- 
tains, in bodies of three or four, and never fail to force the 
eagle to a precipitate retreat. The natives always reward his 
services, by casting from their boats the refuse portion of the 
fresh-caught fish, which he seizes with greedy avidity, snatch- 
ing it almost from the hands of the fisherman. 
I was particularly amused one evening, when standing at 
the foot of the loftiest hill (called by the natives Snuge), with 
the following circumstance : — An eagle was returning to his 
eyry, situated in the face of the western crags, in appear- 
ance perfectly unconscious of approaching so near to his in- 
veterate foe, as, in general, the eagle returns to the rocks 
from the sea, without ever crossing the smallest portion of the 
island. ‘This time, however, he was making a short cut of it, 
by crossing an angle of the land. Not a bird was discernible : 
a solitary skua might, indeed, be occasionally seen, wheeling 
his circling flight around the summit of the mountain, which 
yas already assuming its misty mantle. As I was intently 
observing the majestic flight of the eagle, on a sudden he 
altered his direction, and descended hurriedly, as if in the act 
of pouncing ; in a moment, five or six of the skua passed over 
my head with an astonishing rapidity; their wings par tly 
closed and perfectly steady, w ithiout the slighest waver or irre- 
gularity. They appeared, when cleaving the air, like small 
fragments of broken rock, torn and tossed by a hurricane 
from the summit of a towering cliff, until, losing the power 
that supported them, they fell prone to the sea beneath. The 
gulls soon came up with him, as their descent was very rapid, 
and a desperate engagement ensued. ‘The short bark of the 
eagle was clearly discernible above the scarcely distinguished 
cry of the skua, who never ventured to attack his enemy in 
front; but, taking a short circle around him, until his head 
and tail were in a direct line, the gull made a desperate 
sweep or stoop, and, striking the eagle on the back, he darted 
up again almost perpendicular ; when, falling into the rear, he 
resumed his cowardly attack. Three or four of these birds, 
thus passing in quick succession, invariably succeed in ha- 
rassing the eagle most unmercifully. If, however, he turns 
his head previously to the bird’s striking, the gull quickly 
ascends, without touching him. ‘This engagement continued 
some time, the eagle wheeling and turning as quickly as his 
ponderous wings would allow; until I lost the combatants in 
