Cormorants and Guillemots. 49 



tainty by its voracious pursuer, who, rising with it to the surface, 

 forces it into the air, catches it by the head, and in an instant disposes 

 of it. Cormorants will frequently dive to immense depths in pursuit 

 of fish, and we have an instance of a green cormorant being caught 

 by some fishermen in a crab-pot at the extraordinary depth of 

 twenty fathoms, or one hundred and twenty feet below the surface. 



We may here, also, notice the use which the guillemot makes of 

 its wings when under water. They are used as oars, or sweeps to 

 direct the course of the bird in his pursuit of fish, aptly illustrating, 

 as Mr. Morris observes, the expression " Remigium Alarum."* 



Possessed of such skill in the art of fishing, we are not surprised 

 when we learn that the prowess of the cormorant has been turned 

 to account by man. Thus in China we find that there are men 

 who teach cormorants to fish, and earn their livelihood by the fish 

 thus caught. The operation is carried on in the following manner: — 

 An iron ring is placed round the neck of the bird, not too tight to 

 interfere with its breathing, but just tight enough to prevent the 

 passage of any fish that the creature may chance to catch. This 

 being done, the cormorant is turned loose to fish. The fish being 

 caught, the bird naturally enough tries to swallow it, but being 

 prevented by the iron ring, he brings it, as the next best thing to 

 do, to his master, who in general is seated on a raft superintending 

 the labour of his birds. Two cormorants, or more, usually fish 

 together, and relieve one another in turns, and thus a constant 

 supply of fish is obtained. 



We also hear that in the time of Charles I. an individual 

 existed who rejoiced in the title of " Master of the Cormorants ;" 

 and it would seem that he had charge of a flock of these birds, 

 and taught them to fish in the manner just described, for the 

 amusement of his majesty. I am not, however, aware whether the 

 experiment has ever been attempted in England at the present 

 day.f 



Nor is this the only use which man has made of the cormorant. 

 In Greenland he is turned to good account by the natives, who 

 inflate the jugular pouch of the bird, and then use it as a float for 

 their fishing darts. The same people use the plumage of the 

 guillemot as an article of winter clothing. 



Cormorants will not unfrequently penetrate far inland, driven 

 there most probably by stress of weather, and the same remark 

 applies to the guillemot, although it is far less noticeable in the 

 latter. In cases of this sort the bird usually follows the course of 

 rivers or streams. Thus we have a double instance of guillemots 



• " Morris's British Birds," vol. vi., p. 24. 



t Such, nevertheless, is the case, as I find from subsequent information. 



B 



