CORMORANTS TRAINED TO FISH. 337 



diving, its little plumeless wings are used as fins, but on 

 land as front legs. When crawling (it may be said on four 

 legs) through the tassocks, or on the side of a grassy clifiF, it 

 moved so very quickly that it might readily have been mis- 

 taken for a quadruped. When at sea and fishing, it comes 

 to the surface for the purpose of breathing with such a 

 spring, and dives again so instantaneously, that I defy any- 

 one at first sight to be sure that it is not a fish leaping for 

 sport." 



One of the greatest distroyers of fish is the Cormorant, 

 belonging to the family of Pelicans, and the common species 

 of which is widely distributed, extending around the w^hole 

 coasts of our mainlands and islands, constructing their nests, 

 on the summits of rocks most generally, of sea-weeds or 

 materials collected on the waters. The bird is not easily 

 approached at sea, but gets out of harm's w^ay by flight, not 

 by having recourse to diving, like so many of the true 

 aquatic tribes: the flight, powerful and overland, is per- 

 formed at a great height. When swimming it is easily dis- 

 tinguished by its long upright neck. So keen in fishing is 

 the cormorant that advantage has been taken of the circum- 

 stance to train it for that purpose in the manner hawks are 

 trained for fowling, a tight collar being put around the 

 throat to prevent the swallowing of the prey. A bird of 

 this species kept by a Colonel Montague was extremely 

 docile, of a grateful disposition, and by no means vindictive. 

 He received it by coach after it had been twenty-four hours 

 on the road; yet, though it must have been hungry, it 

 rejected every sort of food he could offer to it, even raw- 

 flesh ; but as he could not procure fish at the time, he was 

 compelled to cram it with meat, which it swallowed with 

 evident reluctance, though it did not attempt to strike him 

 with its formidable beak. After seeing it fed he withdrew 

 to the library, but was surprised in a few minutes to see the 

 stranger walk boldly into the room, and join him at the fire- 



