Vol. xxxix. ] 56 
Skua in the Island of Foula.” In1907 “the Royal Society 
for the Protection of Birds” took over the protection of 
the Great Skua from Mr. Edmonstone. Henry Edwardson, 
the original watcher, who had been there since 1891, was 
re-engaged, and each year goes up to his hut in May and 
remains there until the last young one has left the hill in 
August, his food and newspapers, &c., being brought up to 
him once or twice a week from Haroldswick. The number 
of “‘ Bonxies” nesting on the hill in 1908 was about 15 
pairs ; these in 1914 had increased to about 74 pairs, and a 
flock of about 40 non-breeding birds is generally present 
close to the somewhat scattered breeding-colony. This 
colony has remained at about the same number of breeding- 
pairs since 1914, and from it some small groups of Great 
Skuas are colonizing in other islands. On Mr. William 
Gordon’s property in Mid Yell the first pair nested 10 
years ago, and last season the number had increased to 20 
pairs. The colony on the protected island of Hascosay had 
increased to 13 pairs from 2 pairs in 1909. A few pairs were 
nesting on Sir Arthur Nicolson’s property on Fetlar, strictly 
protected. Sir Arthur is also the owner of Hascosay. Two 
pairs are nesting near North Roe; and perhaps the most 
interesting of all is the small colony of 7 pairs now 
nesting on the Island of Noss, which island, with its won- 
derful wealth of bird-life, is most efficiently protected by its 
owner, Bishop Cameron, Mr. Denis de Vitre the agent, Mr. 
Manson the tenant, and his shepherd T. Jamieson, who 
lives on it and keeps the boat. The first pair came to Noss 
in 1914, and when the war broke out it was feared that this 
island and others would be raided by fishermen and sailors 
from the Fleet. However, we were most fortunate in having 
a most sympathetic admiral in command, and the birds had 
more complete protection since 1914 than at any other 
time. There are other pairs scattered here and there 
throughout the Shetlands, and I doubt if the “ Bonxie” 
has been in a better position than at present for very many 
years. Incidentally, many other interesting species have 
