THE GREAT SKUA IN FOULA. 297 



with another like it, on the Friston saltings. Went to try and 

 borrow a telescope, but without success. On returning, however, 

 both birds got up and came across the river, passing me quite 

 closely. I then saw that they were Shellducks. One alighted on 

 the saltings on my side of the river ; the other I lost sight of. 

 Twice during the day I saw one bird alone, and hope by this that 

 they may be nesting close by. 



(To be concluded.) 



THE GREAT SKUA (LESTRIS CATARRHACTES) IN FOULA. 

 By Richard M. Barrington, LL.B., F.L.S. 



Yarrell states that, " as regards the British Islands, the only 

 breeding-places of the Great Skua are in the Shetland group. 

 One of these is in Unst, where the bird is carefully protected by 

 Mr. Edmondston ; and another is on the outlying island of Foula, 

 the property of the Scotts of Melby, who do all in their power to 

 maintain the scanty race." * Having recently visited the last- 

 mentioned island, it may be of interest to the readers of * The 

 Zoologist' to have the latest report concerning one of the rarest 

 of the sea-fowl which now breed in the British Islands. 



We landed on Foula at midnight on June 22nd last, and were 

 eight hours crossing in a fishing-smack from the mainland of 

 Shetland, from which Foula is distant about eighteen miles. To 

 the west of the island the cliffs are bold and striking, and form 

 a jagged outline, which for imposing grandeur is hardly to be 

 surpassed. On the east and north-east the island is comparatively 

 low, with cliffs varying from 50 to 150 feet, but there is no strand 

 or stony beach anywhere, save where a mountain stream enters 

 the ocean at a little creek in the rocks, and this strip of beach 

 is only ten yards across. Having hailed the natives by whistling 

 and shouting, we ultimately aroused them by firing shots, and 

 they put off a boat to the smack and rowed us ashore. At 1 a.m. 

 our tent was up, and we turned into our blanket-sacks and lay 

 down on somewhat uneven ground. 



No Gaelic is spoken in Shetland, and, not as in the Outer 

 Hebrides, one can converse easily with the natives on that 



* ' History of British Birds,' 4th ed . vol. iii. p. 663. 

 ZOOLOGIST.— AUGUST, 1890. Z . 



