COMMON CORMORANT. 487 



certainty, by the sharp, hooked, horny point of the upper 

 mandible ; their dilatable throat enabling them to swallow 

 a large prey. When fishing they are frequently observed 

 to carry their heads under water, perhaps that vision may 

 not be interfered with by the ripple on the surface. They 

 are frequently seen sitting on posts, rails, or leafless trees 

 by the water side, when, if a fish should move on the 

 surface within their sight, it is pounced upon, and caught 

 to a certainty. An eel is a favourite morsel with him, 

 and a Cormorant has been seen to pick up an eel from 

 the mud, return to the rail he was previously sitting upon, 

 strike the eel three or four hard blows against the rail, 

 toss it up into the air, and catching it by the head in its 

 fall, swallow it in an instant. Cormorants on the wing 

 frequently follow the course of a river many miles inland ; 

 sometimes, perhaps, mistaking stone buildings for rocks, 

 as some years ago a Cormorant was shot on King's Col- 

 lege Chapel, in Cambridge. 



That Cormorants possess considerable intelligence is 

 shown by several circumstances. They are easily re- 

 conciled to confinement ; and Montagu, in his Supple- 

 ment, relates an interesting account of one that very soon 

 became so tame and attached, that it seemed to be never 

 so happy as when permitted to remain by the side of its 

 owner. They were formerly trained to catch and bring 

 fish to their masters. Whitelock tells us, says Pennant, 

 that he had a cast of them manned like hawks, and which 

 would come to hand. He took much pleasure in them, 

 and relates, that the best he had was one presented to him 

 by Mr. Wood, Master of the Cormorants to Charles I. 

 The Chinese are said to use them at the present time ; 

 the bird is taken to the water side; a metal ring, or 

 leather strap, by way of collar, is put on his neck, and he 

 is then set at liberty to catch a fish, which he brings to 

 hand when called, a small cord being attached to him, 



