COMMON CORMORANT. 147 



and fish for himself, always returning to the fireside, which' 

 was his favourite place, and so attached was he to his master 

 that he would fly several hundred yards to meet him. 



Sir Eohert Shafto Adair told the Author that a pair of 

 Cormorants took to, fed, and brought up a nest of young 

 Ravens, the natural parents of which had both been de- 

 stroyed. The gamekeeper was desired to watch the pro- 

 ceedings, and reported that the Cormorants brought a con- 

 stant supply of fish. 



It would appear that from time immemorial down to the 

 present day, the Chinese and Japanese have trained Cor- 

 morants to take fish. The bird is taken to the water 

 side ; a metal ring, or leather strap, by way of collar, is 

 usually, but not invariably, put on its neck, and it is 

 then set at liberty to catch a fish, which it brings to 

 hand when called, a small cord being attached to it, 

 while in training, to insure return ; having satisfied the 

 wants of the master, the collar is taken off, and the bird 

 is then allowed to fish for itself. On other occasions, 

 when well trained, two birds are taken by the fisherman 

 upon the water on a raft to fish, as shown in the representa- 

 tion used as a vignette at the end of this subject. The 

 Cormorants appear to fish and rest by turns, and are 

 assisted in gaining a footing upon the raft by the fisherman 

 using a short pole. From an interesting history of fishing 

 with Cormorants, given by Mr. J. E. Harting in his ' Essays 

 on Sport and Natural History,' pp. 423-440, it would 

 seem that this practice was introduced into Europe as an 

 amusement early in the seventeenth century : probably by 

 the Dutch ; and was taken up by Louis XIII. of France, 

 and James I. of England. The latter became fascinated by 

 the sport, which was also followed by his son and successor. 

 According to Pennant, Whitelocke had a cast of them 

 " manned " like hawks, to come to hand, in which he 

 took much pleasure, relating that the best he had was 

 one presented to him by Mr. Wood, Master of the Cor- 

 morants to Charles I. Willughby, in his ' Ornithology ' 

 (1678), describes the mode of training and fishing, which, 



