THE O. & O. SEMI-ANNUAL. 29 
NIDIFIGATION OF THE SKUAS. 
BY WALTER RAINE, TORONTO, CAN. 
MONG the family of Gulls, none are 
more interesting than the Skuas or 
Jaegers. They are the pirates of 
the sea-coast, being very bold and 
insolent, and in many cases do not 
take the trouble to fish fur themselves ; 
but, watching the fishing operations of 
the Gull, seize their opportunity of 
assailing a successful fisher and com- 
pelling him to disgorge his prey which 
they take to themselves. They not only pitilessly persecute the 
Kittiwake and other Gulls in order to obtain their own food 
second-hand ; but also destroy and devour the eggs of other birds. 
Four species of Skuas are found both in Europe and in North Amer- 
ica ; but it is in Europe where these birds are most frequently met 
with. ‘True, they breed within the Arctic Circle in North America ; 
but most of the eggs in collections are from Europe. 
The largest of this family is the Skua Gull, called in England the 
Common Skua, though the Richardson’s Skua is really the most com- 
mon species. It is not known to breed in North America, and now 
only nests in two localities in the British Islands; namely, Unst and 
Foula, two of the Shetland Isles ; but is annually becoming scarcer in 
these two places. 
This Skua always makes its nest on the ground, usually some ele- 
vated spot. The nest is well constructed as a rule, and is made of 
grass and moss. Sometimes it consists of a depression in the ground | 
with a little grass and moss for a lining. 
The eggs are two in number. never more, and vary somewhat in 
color. They are usually a dark olive-brown, blotched with darker 
brown and umber, some having a greenish ground color. 
This bird is very numerous in Iceland, from which place I receive 
scores of eggs from my collector every season. In Scotland a pair 
of these birds have been known to drive off the Golden Eagle from 
their nest of young. 
