brooks: FAT,KI-A\n ISf^AND BIRDS. 140 



and their fondness tor tlio eggs and downy young ot" penguins is well 

 known. 



They are very aggressive and often wlien no nests are in the vicinity 

 one or more skuas will circle about and swoop at one's head, though 

 only once was my head touched. However once was enough and 

 thereafter I would kill any bird taking lil)erties with me in this manner. 

 One cannot have a specimen exposed on the ground but what a skua 

 will begin tearing it to pieces as soon as one has walked away a few 

 yards. 



C'liiONis ALBA (Gmelin). 



Snowy vSheathbill; "Kelp Pigeon, Snotty Beak". 



I only saw these extraordinary ))irds on two occasions, October 10, 

 and 17, shortly after which and before I obtained permission to collect 

 specimens they had disappeared, for the south no doubt. 



On the wing they suggest very strongly a pigeon or rock ptarmigan 

 in winter plumage. 



Singularly tame they will approach within a few feet of a person 

 standing on the beach and walk about gazing at one cTu-iously. 



Those I saw were quite quarrelsome among themselves and often 

 three or four would form a small circle and after a brief period of 

 bowing to each other would start a fight, the usual method being by 

 means of hard l)lows administered with the wings. 



HAEM.\TOPrs LEi^copiTs Garnot. 

 " Black and White Curlew ". 



.\lmost every stony beach has u pair or more of oyster-catchers 

 residing there, for in tiie Falklands they prefer in most cases stony to 

 sandy beaches. 



Early in October the eggs, two in number,, are laid in a slight cavity 

 among loose stones and sand situated from a few feet above high- 

 water mark to fifty or seventy -five yards. Fresh eggs were found on 

 October 10, and on the same date a set was taken in which incubation 

 had started. 



The sitting bird leaves the nest at a signal from its mate on the beach 

 before one is within a himdred yards of the nest. Sometimes the 

 birds feign broken wings, at other times the\' walk slowlv about close 



