TREATISE ON FLY-FISHING. 7 



if we extend our researches $o distant climes, we 

 find even birds are classed among the fishing 

 implements. 



The Cormorant, an aquatic bird of China, and 

 other countries, is an excellent swimmer and 

 diver, and also flies well. It is very voracious, 

 and as soon as it perceives a fish in the water, it 

 darts down with great rapidity, and clings its 

 prey firmly, by means of saw like indentations on 

 its feet. The fish is brought up with one foot; 

 the other foot enables the bird to rise to the 

 surface, and by an adroit movement, the fish is 

 loosened from the foot and grasped in the bird's 

 mouth. 



Le Comte, a French writer, describes the mode 

 in which the Chinese avail themselves of this 

 angling propensity on the part of the cormorants : 

 " to this end," says he, " cormorants are edu- 

 cated as men rear up spaniels or hawks, and one 

 man can easily manage one hundred. The fisher 

 carries them out into the lake, perched on the 



