350 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



may find its way down the Cormorant's throat, it is really a fish- 

 eater. It out-swims fish under water, and as a rule, at any rate, 

 brings them to the surface before swallowing them. There, if 

 they prove troublesome, they are worried and shaken as a 

 terrier shakes a rat ; it will beat them on the surface, carry 

 them below and bring them up again, until their struggles are 

 subdued ; then they are gorged, swelling first the extensive 

 gular pouch and later the thin but elastic neck. The dives are 

 irregular in duration, but not so sustained as in some birds ; 

 often they last less than half a minute. One bird on the 

 average brought up a fish at every fifth dive. After fishing the 

 Cormorant delights to stand upon some rock or post, drying its 

 outspread sharply angled wings, looking like a long-necked 

 heraldic eagle. Numbers ascend estuaries with the tide and 

 line the shores at the ebb ; on the Dee marshes they will sit in 

 rows on the w^ire sheep-railing, their big inward-turned toes 

 wrapped round the wire ; in spite of a stiff breeze and semi-open 

 wings they maintain their balance. As they sit they gape, as if 

 blase; probably they are striving to eject the pellets of undiges- 

 ted food. The note, seldom heard except near the nest, is a 

 deep harsh croak. On rocks the Cormorant stands fairly erect 

 with straight tarsus, but it walks awkwardly, swaying its neck 

 from side to side. In courtship both will raise and dip their 

 necks, a common nuptial action of water birds, %. 



The nests are usually on ledges of a steep crag facing the sea, 

 often many together. In Ireland and Wales there are a few 

 inland colonies on isolated rocks, and in Ireland some nests are 

 built in trees. Turner in 1544 told how the East Anglian Cor- 

 morants built in trees, but from 1825 until 1914 this habit was 

 discontinued; this 1914 nest is shown on Plate 151. Inland 

 nests are built of sticks and often lined with fresh green herbage, 

 but on the coast seaweed is freely used, and the nests are often 

 of great size. Nesting material is added after the eggs are 

 hatched. Three or four eggs are laid late in April or in May ; 



