in the Slimmer of \S2S. 323 



birds possess an inveterate dislike against the eagle and raven ; 

 for no sooner does the broad and rounded wing of the eagle 

 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 

 was 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 partly 

 closed and perfectly steady, without 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 



