one can hardly find fault with the island-natives for 

 aiding them in their wanton depredations. This species 

 also breeds in Iceland and the Faeroe Islands, and 

 wanders southwards in the autumn and winter, but, 

 although occasionally met with on our eastern coasts, 

 and as far south as the Straits of Gibraltar at those 

 seasons, the Great Skua may be fairly regarded as rare in 

 Europe, away from its summer haunts. The " Bonxie," 

 as this bird is called by the Shetlanders, breeds on the 

 ground on high moor-lands ; the eggs are two in number ; 

 and Mr. H. Saunders confirms, from personal experience, 

 the many stories that are related with regard to the 

 boldness of the parent-birds in defence of their young. 

 The two birds represented in the accompanying Plate 

 were most kindly sent to me as a present from the 

 proprietor of the island of Foula, and were taken from 

 the nest in the summer of 1891. They arrived at 

 Lilford at the end of August in charge of a native of 

 Foula, who had taken and reared them. This man 

 assured me that the " Bonxies " on Foula live to a great 

 extent by the capture of Kittiwakes and other sea-birds 

 during the breeding-season, and that they can easily 

 master all the other species that inhabit the island. The 

 day after their arrival at Lilford the two young birds, 

 though well fed, managed to drag an incautious American 

 Teal through the dividing wires of their respective com- 

 partments, and, when visited in the morning, were found 

 upon the half-devoured carcase of their victim, which 

 was held down by the feet of the slayers, and torn to 

 pieces after the manner of an Eagle in like circumstance. 

 These birds are still in perfect health (August 1S93), 



