st'okies about birds. 815 



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ORMORANTS belong to tlie family of 

 gulls. The bird is about the size 

 of a large Muscovy duck, and may 

 be distinguished from all other birds of 

 this kind, by its four toes being toothed, 

 or notched, like a saw, to assist it in 

 holding its fishy prey. The head and neck 

 of this bird are of a sooty blackness; and the 

 body thick and heavy, more inclining in figure 

 to that of the goose than the gull. The bill 

 is straight, till near the end, where the upper 

 part bends into a hook. They are very expert 

 in catching fish. They used to be trained in 

 England so that they would fish for their 

 masters, and they are still used in China for 

 this purpose. 



A gentleman who made a visit to China some 

 years ago, described the manner in which these 



