446 ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 



even of birds, he will fall upon the weakling lamb 

 on the hillside and rend it in pieces. 



This island, too, is the home of the Cormorant 

 and the Shag, the latter, although generally rarer, 

 being here the more common. Far out on the 

 narrow, almost submerged skerry, where the marine 

 tangle rises and falls to the beat of the sea, we 

 see a row of motionless snake-like heads ; they are 

 all pointing silently upwards, as though unaware 

 of our presence, but in reality every keen emerald 

 eye is fixed upon the boat. To test this take a few 

 gentle strokes nearer. One by one, without undue 

 haste, they spread their big dark wings and fly 

 heavily with out-stretched necks to some distant 

 point. Others which have been disporting them- 

 selves around the rock raise their dark heads, and 

 with a singularly graceful curve of head and neck, 

 dive without a splash to come up far away, lying 

 low in the water like black piratical hulks, but with 

 watchful eyes turning hither and thither to see 

 that we have not stolen a march on them during 

 their temporary absence from the surface. 



Beneath the water the Cormorants move with 

 marvellous celerity. It might well be thought that 

 a fish, in its native element, would readily escape 

 from the onslaught of a mere bird. But if by fortu- 

 nate chance, the Cormorant be seen in the crystal 

 depths of the rock-pool, this belief is dispelled for 

 ever. The long narrow black form appears sharp- 

 ened to the finest point. Propelled only by the 

 backward sweep of the webbed feet, turning like 

 lightning to right or left around the angle of the 

 rock or about the weeds, the black water-wolf 



