THE QUEST FOR THE CORMORANT S NEST 



167 



these baby ' ' nigger geese, ' ^ which were being reared here 

 amid the wild surroundings of a Carolina lake. 



Cormorants live in almost all countries of the world. To 

 find them, however, one must look along the sea coast or 

 about large lakes where the supply of fish is abundant. 

 There are twen- 

 ty-five kinds of 

 cormorants, 

 and they all "^ 

 bear a close re- 

 semblance. 

 They have 

 heavy bodies, 

 long necks and 

 short stout legs. 

 While perched 

 they stand very ^-^ 

 erect and the 

 stiff feathers 

 of their tails 

 serve as a prop, —^^^-■ 



or a kind of third leg, for their support. The feathers of 

 nearly all species are glossy black. 



In China the people have learned that cormorants can 

 be tamed and taught to be very useful as domestic animals. 



