SIRDS OF KANSAS 14 



the surface with their capture, tossing the same in the air 

 and catching it head first as it falls, so that the fins will 

 not prevent its passing into the stomach. The throat 

 readily expands and enables them to swallow fish larger 

 than the neck in its normal condition. I have often no- 

 ticed the birds when resting upon a log, or perched upon 

 a limb over the water, suddenly drop and disappear be- 

 neath its surface at the sight of a fish, catching it, however, 

 in a fair chase, and not, like the Gannet or Kingfisher, 

 by a plunge upon their prey. 



All the birds of this family are voracious eaters, and the 

 craving for food makes them active hunters, and they are 

 successfully used in many places by the fishermen, who 

 tie a string around their neck to prevent their swallowing 

 the fish they catch. The Chinese especially rear and train 

 the birds upon their boats for fishing, with great success. 

 Le Comte says : " To this end they are educated as men 

 rear up spaniels or hawks, and one man can easily manage 

 a hundred. The fisher carries them out into the lake, 

 perched on the gunnel of the boat, where they continue 

 tranquil, and expecting his order with patience. When 

 arrived at the proper place, at the first signal given each 

 flies a different way to fulfill the task assigned it. It is 

 very pleasant on this occasion to behold with what saga- 

 city they portion out the lake or the canal where they are 

 upon duty. They hunt about, they plunge, they rise an 

 hundred times to the surface, until they have at last 

 found their prey. Then they seize it with' their beak by 

 the middle, and carry it without fail to their master. 

 When the fish is too large they then give each other mutual 

 assistance one seizes it by the head, the other by the tail, 



