CORMORANT 105 



French (in some patois, of which it is still "cor marin,"' and in 

 certain Italian dialects "corvo marin" or "corvo marino ") — a 

 large sea-fowl belonging to the genus Phalacrocorax ^ {Carlo, Halieus, 

 and Graculus of some ornithologists), and that group of the Linnjean 

 Order Anseres, now pretty generally recognized by lUiger's term 

 Steganopodes, of which it with its allies forms a Family Phalacro- 

 coracidx. 



The Cormorant, P. carho, frequents almost all the sea-coast of 

 Europe, and breeds in societies at various stations most generally 

 on steep cliffs, but occasionally 

 on rocky islands as well as on 

 trees. The nest consists of a 

 large mass of seaweed, and, 

 with the ground immediately 

 surrounding it, generally looks 



as though bespattered with Cormor.^>.t. (After Swainson.) 



whitejvash, from the excrement 



of the bird, which lives entirely on fish. The eggs, from four to six 

 in number, are small, and have a thick, soft, calcareous shell, bluish- 

 white when first laid, but soon becoming discoloured. The young 

 are hatched blind, and covered with an inky-black skin. They 

 remain for some time in the squab-condition, and are then highly 

 esteemed for food by the northern islanders, their flesh being said 

 to taste as well as a roasted hare's. Their first plumage is of a 

 sombre brownish -black above, and more or less white beneath. 

 They take two or three years to assume the fully adult dress, 

 which is deep black, glossed above with bronze, and varied in 

 the breeding-season with white on the cheeks and flanks, besides 

 being adorned by filamentary feathers on the head, and further 

 set off by a bright yellow gape. The old Cormorant looks as big 

 as a Goose, but is really much smaller : its flesh is quite uneatable. 

 Taken when young from the nest, this bird is easily tamed, 

 and can be trained to fish for its keeper, as was of old time com- 

 monly done in England, where the Master of the Cormorants was 

 one of the officers of the royal household. Nowadays the practice 

 is nearly disused, though a few gentlemen still follow it for their 

 diversion. When taken out to furnish sport, a strap is fastened 

 round the bird's neck so as, Avithout impeding its breath, to hinder 

 it from swallowing its captures.^ Arrived at the Avaterside, it is 

 cast off". It at once dives and darts along the bottom as swiftly as 



^ So spelt since the clays of Gesner ; but possibly Phalarocorax would be more 

 correct. 



- It -was formerly the custom, as we learn from Willughby, to cany the 

 Cormorant hooded till its services were required, by which means it was kept 

 quiet. At the present time its bearer wears a wire-mask to 2:)rotect his eyes and 

 face from the bird's beak. 



