THE GREAT SKUA IN FOULA. 299 



Walking on towards the depression between the Hamnafeld 

 and the Sneug, Great Skuas appeared more numerously, about 

 ten pairs being observed within a radius of 200 yards. Many 

 nests were met with, but not a single egg. Up to this the birds 

 had not come nearer than ten to twenty yards, flying past and 

 across us, now and then uttering a croaking noise, " ag — ag," 

 and sometimes alighting within thirty yards. Presently a pair 

 became very bold, and when passing would swoop towards us. 

 Thinking eggs or young must be close by, a delay was made to 

 search carefully, and both Skuas then attacked us vigorously, so 

 that our sticks were involuntarily raised to prevent them striking 

 our heads. The modus operandi was this : — the Skua would 

 start about sixty yards off, on the same level as our heads, and 

 fly straight at us, not deviating an inch, and increasing in speed, 

 then, when within a yard or two of our heads, the feet were 

 lowered, claws extended, and with a terrific "swish" and deep 

 rushing noise of the wings, it would swerve upwards in a graceful 

 curve, wheel then either to left or right, descend again to the level 

 of our heads, and repeat the performance with greater or less 

 vigour, according as we approached or receded from the nest. 

 The nests were sometimes within ten yards of each other, but 

 more frequently thirty to forty yards asunder. I must have seen 

 over sixty, but all had been robbed save one, and this one 

 contained a single egg. It was the only nest seen at a lower level 

 than 800 ft., and probably escaped the searching eyes of the native 

 egg merchant. W. was more fortunate, and found in one spot a 

 few nests with one to two eggs and one young bird. The general 

 impression left was that the Great Skuas were flying round their 

 robbed nests, intending either to make new ones close by, or lay 

 a second time in the old nests. Three times only was I attacked 

 in that extraordinary vigorous manner which has made the Great 

 Skua so noted for its boldness ; but, were the nests not robbed, 

 and three or four pairs of Skuas defending their young at the 

 same time, few visitors would have the courage to face them 

 without a stick. The natives told me that in some instances 

 the Skuas knock off their hats, and have broken their wings 

 against a stick suddenly held up as they swooped at the head of 

 the intruder. No serious injury seems at any time to have been 

 inflicted on a human being by a Skua. The birds probably 



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