Petrels of one sort or another seemed to be the staple food of the Skuas on Kerguelen's Land. 

 They hunt for them in the evening when it is becoming dusk, flying rapidly along the hill sides, close to 

 the ground, like Hawks, ready t<> pounce upon any that they may see emerging from the mouths of their 

 burrows. Again in the early morning the Skuas arc upon the wing to waylay Petrels returning from 

 the sea; nor are they idle during the rest of the day. which is devoted to plundering the nests of other 

 birds of the eggs and young ones. A number of Blue Petrels captured in the night by the sailors who 

 attended Mr. Eaton were turned loose in the day time, and were all chased by Skuas and killed on the 

 wing before they had flown half a mile. 



No nests were made by the Skuas on Kerguelen's Land, the eggs being merely deposited on the 

 ground among the low scrubby herbage : there were three in each nest, some being dark brown mottled 

 with white, and others a lighter brown, with darker-hued spots all over the larger end. 



After the close of the breeding season the birds disperse over the oCean, for the most part 

 separating into pairs, and are often seen fully a thousand miles from land, their only resting places upon 

 the water being the floating masses of seaweed which are met with at wide intervals in all latitudes, and 

 here they have been observed resting with as much ease as upon solid ground. 



When two Skuas are engaged in fishing together the pair will not hesitate to attack the largest 

 Albatros, if that bird should be carrying any food while on the wing : at this time the giant bird has no 

 other resource but to drop his load and settle on the water, and once the plunder is secured the Skuas 

 fly away. 



By many sailors and sealers the flesh of the Skua is considered delicate and much valued, and the 

 feathers are esteemed for their softness and cleanliness. 



The plumage of the Skuas of the southern hemisphere is stated by Gould to be darker than that 

 of those inhabiting the northern hemisphere, and they are also larger and heavier birds ; but there is no 

 difference in the colouring of the sexes. 



The whole plumage a rich brown ; bill, legs and feet, bluish-black. 



Habitats : The whole of the southern seas generally. 



