NOTES AND QUERIES. 181 
considerable numbers on the wide moors and marshy tracts of the interior 
of the county. Its head quarters some years ago seemed to be a low and 
remote piece of moorland of this description in Watten parish, surrounded 
by thousands of acres of grouse moors and sheep grazings, and studded by 
numbers of small lochs, containing mossy mounds and islands of varied 
size and shape. This was a favourite breeding-station of the Arctic Skua. 
The Lesser Black-blacked Gull, the Common Gull, and a good many of the 
rarer swimming and wading birds also resorted to these pools and the 
neighbouring swamps for the purpose of nidification. It is to be feared 
that this interesting colony is now thoroughly broken up, the property 
having a few years ago come into the possession of an English nobleman, 
whose gamekeeper promptly declared war against the Gulls; and the 
ultimate result may be surmised from the fact that in the first year, among 
other birds, no fewer than eighty Arctic Skuas were destroyed! Wick Bay 
and its neighbourhood, during the herring-fishing season, afford abundant 
opportunities for observing the style of hunting practised by the Arctic 
Skua. A pair of these birds are stationed on the point of some jutting 
rock, or other prominent position, apparently engaged in preening their 
dusky plumage, and enjoying the mild summer evening; but in reality 
keeping a sharp look-out among the multitude of gulls of different species, 
Kittiwakes, Terns, &c., which hover around or rest upon the sea. Suddenly 
a clamour is raised by some gull—more fortunate than discreet-—who has 
secured a fish or other prize, when its neighbours, in twos and threes, or 
half a dozen, crowd in, and, with appetites on the stretch, essay to snatch 
the tempting morsel from the very throat of the rightful owner. The 
shriek of triumph uttered by the poor bird as the prize is at last safely 
stowed away is the signal for the Skuas, who spring into the air with all 
the eagerness and almost the speed of the falcon, immediately give chase 
to the Gull, which at once perceives its danger, and strives to evade its 
enemies by mounting higher into the air. And now ensues a chase which 
is well worthy of observation, the furious assaults and sudden onsets of the 
pirates being for a time skilfully evaded by the Gull, which turns and 
doubles, and practises every possible manceuvre to shake them off, the 
positions of pursuers and pursued changing the while, so as to render it 
difficult to follow the progress of the contest. The dark plumage and 
rapid flight of the Skuas, pressing keenly but silently upon their victim, 
contrasted with the snow-white garb and noisy clamour of the gull, must, 
at such times, attract the attention of the least observant spectator. In 
this way the chase continues, until the poor Gull, thoroughly exhausted, 
disgorges its load of fish, which is immediately caught by the Skua. By 
thus pursuing and harassing the whole Gull tribe, from the Great Black- 
backed and Glaucous Gulls downwards, the Skuas obtain a subsistence ; 
their victims in despair disgorging their recently swallowed—or even half- 
