Bird Life on the Farne Islands 33 



composed of coarse sea-weed, usually about 18 inches in 

 height. The cormoiant is a large bird, about three feet 

 in length. Its eyes are of a bright emerald green colour, 

 and its plumage almost entirely black. Cormorants are 

 trained by the Chinese to fish, and also by some gentlemen 

 on the south coast of England. Albinos occasionally 

 occur. The black-backed gulls levy a heavy toll on the 

 eggs of this species. It is a most interesting sight to 

 observe carefully the mated pair preparing their nest. 

 Whilst the site is being fixed upon, some half-a-dozen 

 others are seen to carry huge strips of sea-weed — of which 

 chiefly the nest is composed — to the required rendezvous, 

 and this is carefully placed by the future parents in the 

 correct position. Directly the young ones are hatched 

 they are extremely feeble and walking is merely a shuffle, 

 so spindle-like are their movements. After a day or 

 two they are seen to topple from the edge of the cliff 

 into the briny, and thus, like many an Indian child, they 

 can swim much sooner than they can walk. 



We find the following story, given by the Dutch 

 naturalist, Tonston, from Odorie. " In a certaine city," 

 says he, ' ' situate by the great river in the East, we went 

 to see our host fish. I saw in his little ships cormorants 

 tied upon a perch, and he had tied their throat with a 

 string, that they should not swallow the fish they took. 

 In every bark they set three great panniers, one in the 

 middle, and at each end one ; then they let loose their 

 cormorants, who presently caught abundance of fish, 

 which they put into the panniers, so that in a short time 

 they filled them all. Then mine host took off the straps 

 from their necks, and let them fish for themselves. When 

 they were full they came back to their perches and were 

 tied up again." A similar mode of fishing was also 

 practised at Venice. 



The Lesser Black-backed Gull (Larus fuscus) nests on 

 the Wamses, the Staples, and the Wide Opens. Eggs 

 two or three in number, These birds destroy great 

 numbers of the eggs of most of the species breeding on 

 the Fames. 



The Kittewake (Rissa tridyctyla). — The nesting place of 



