196 THE HUMAN SIDE OF BIRDS 



six to ten of these are taken into the cormorant's 

 pouch before it is called into the boat to "cough 

 up" its prey. When the signal is given by the 

 keeper for the fisherbirds to disgorge, each quickly 

 responds, and as a reward is given one or two fish 

 to eat. When cormorants are feeding their young, 

 they sometimes open their mouths and allow the 

 babies to take out of their capacious throats what 

 food they desire. This is done by many of the 

 fishing birds. 



The eagle, so far as is generally known, appears 

 to be only an indifferent fisher, yet it is positively 

 known to devour fish and to feed them to its young. 

 This regal bird may be seen along the wild stretches 

 of the Atlantic sea-board. It is known to build in 

 proximity to the sea, but it is rarely, if ever, ob- 

 served in the act of taking fish from the water. 



Its method is one of robbery, and in the execu- 

 tion of its plans it proves itself a strategist, if not 

 a fisherman. Indeed its cleverness makes it un- 

 necessary for it to learn the fisherman's trade. Very 

 often an osprey, as well as other smaller sea birds, 

 will rise from the water with a glistening fish in its 

 talons, only to be overtaken in the twinkling of an 

 eye by an eagle that has been watching from afar 

 the beautiful white fisher at work. The eagle ap- 

 pears as from nowhere, and the chase that ensues is 



