THE CORMORANT. ^15 



inarch. It was one of the largeft of the kind, and had a daily allowance 

 by the emperor's orders. 



THE CORMORANT. , 



THE Cormorant in fize nearly equals a goofe, but is rather flen- 

 der ; its four toes are completely united by membranes together ; 

 the middle toe being toothed or notched like a faw, to afllft it in hold- 

 ing its fifliy prey. The bill is ftraight, till near the end, where the upper 

 chap bends into a hook ; plumage black, or variegated with deep 

 bfown ; ti»o white fpots outfide of the legs ; front of the neck white 5 

 tufts of long feathers on the head and the upper part of the neck ; front 

 and fides of the head bald j a naked fkin accompanies the bill beneath. 



This unclean bird combines, with the groffeft appetites, the moft rank 

 and difagreeable fmell. More foetid than carrion ; its form difagreeable ; 

 its voice hoarfe and croaking; all its qualities obfcene : — No wonder Mil- 

 ton fhould make Satan perfonate this bird, when furveying the beauties of 

 paradife, on the bafeft of purpofes. 



It is feen as well by land as by fea ; fifhes in frefh-water lakes, as in 

 the ocean ; builds in the cliffs of the rocks, as well as on trees ; and preys 

 not only in the day-time, but by night. 



The cormorant is trained up in China for the purpofe of fifliing, as it 

 was formerly in England. The fifher carries them out into the lake, 

 perched on the gunnel of his boat j at the firil fignal given, each flies a dif- 

 ferent way, to fulfil the talk affigned. It is very pleafanr, on this occa- 

 •fion, to behold with what fagacity they portion out the lake or the canal. 

 They hunt about, they plunge, they rife an hundred times to the furface, 

 until they have at laft found their prey. They then feize it with their 

 beak by the middle, and carry it without fail to their mafter. When the 

 fifh is too large, they give each other mutual afliftance : one feizes 

 it by the head, the other by the tail, and in this manner carry it to the 

 boat together. There the boatman ftretches out one of his long oars, 

 on which they perch, and being delivered of their burthen, they fly off 

 to purfue their fport. When they are wearied, he lets them reft for a 

 while ; but they are never fed till their work is over. They have always, 

 while they fift, a firing fattened round their throats, to prevent them from 



U 2 devouring 



