9 
Birds of Kerguelen Island. 
As for any danger that rabbits might overrun the land, 
the Skuas settled that point long ago. I know that the Skua 
is a good rabbiter, for not only did Mr. Gundersen and 
Mr. Brechen see a rabbit being carried through the air and 
a Skua doing battle with a full-grown one, which, however, 
escaped, but also I counted six dead rabbits under a stone at 
the mouth of their burrow. As for skeletons, they were 
everywhere, and appeared far more numerous than the living 
animals. I never saw a live rabbit unless it was running 
straight for a definite point, so dreaded is this Skua and so 
quick are its movements. As for stealing the spoil of our 
guns, it was incorrigible. At lunch one day, with a freshly- 
killed Duck lying behind one of the sportsmen, a Skua stole 
quietly up and ate the flesh and nearly every bone of it, and 
all this within five feet of us. On another occasion, two of 
our men, with the second officer, wounded two Ducks. One 
of these was about to be picked up, when down swooped 
a Skua. It was at once severely struck on the back, and that 
Duck was dropped, but, continuing its flight, the Skua seized 
the other Duck and escaped. 
So interested is the Skua when gorging itself on a seal, 
that it goes in head and shoulders, and soon becomes of a 
sanguine colour: so unconscious of surroundings is it on 
these occasions that one was caught with the hand. Another 
was trying to keep its place upon a living seal’s back, while 
the animal was endeavouring to bite it and shake it off; 
but perhaps the seal had a wound on its back filled with 
crustaceans, as was the case with one which we had previously 
observed. Large pieces of seal’s flesh are swallowed by the 
Skua on the wing. It jerks a piece upwards to get a better 
hold, and then gulps it down; while, if the prey be too 
large to be carried far, the bird will settle on the water or 
the ground, and although Gulls flock round, there is no 
interference. With the Gulls, in fact, the Skua agrees 
very well. 
A photograph of a Skua sitting on its nest was taken as if 
at the bird’s own request. I had focussed the eggs, and was 
about to open the shutter, when the Skua settled upon the eggs 
within five feet of me. The nest is rude, and measures 15 x 12 
