BIRD NOTES 75 



in some years in numbers ; in other years not a 

 nest was to be seen. They appear sometimes to 

 have usurped the Heron's nest ; but to-day neither 

 Heron nor Cormorant are found there. The Pagets l 

 referred to it as " Common." 



Tolerant as the large gulls are of the Spoonbill's 

 society, they seem to draw the line at that of the 

 Cormorant. One I saw alight on a flat in proximity 

 to some two hundred gulls was bullied, and fled 

 from in turn by them with the utmost excitement, 

 willing as the bird itself seemed to be to fraternise. 

 The gulls eventually left it. 



A live Cormorant was brought to me in March 

 1900, and turned into a wired enclosure, when it 

 immediately mounted a heap of stones and made 

 itself at home. In two or three days it recognised 

 its fish-basket, and in a week's time would catch its 

 fish, when thrown to it, with remarkable accuracy, 

 trumpeting its approval in strange harsh notes. 

 "Joey" soon learned to distinguish my voice, and 

 to judge of my intentions. He gave decided pre- 

 ference to whitings, whiting heads being even more 

 acceptable than cut-up flounders. Gurnards were 



1 Sketch of the Natural History of Great Yarmouth, by C. J. and J. 

 Paget, 



