198 A HISTORY OF 



finny tribe. They are most remarkably voracious, and have a most 

 sudden digestion. Their appetite is for ever craving, and never sa 

 tisfied. This gnawing sensation may probably be increased by the 

 great quantity of small worms that fill their intestines, and which their 

 unceasing gluttony contributes to engender. 



Thus formed with grossest appetites, this unclean bird has the most 

 rank and disagreeable smell, and is more fetid than even carrion, 

 when in its most healthful state. Its form, says an ingenious modern, 

 is disagreeable ; its voice is hoarse and croaking ; and all its quali- 

 ties obscene. No wonder then that Milton should make Satan per- 

 sonate this bird, when he sent him upon the basest purposes, to surve} 

 with pain the beauties of Paradise, and to sit devising death on the 

 tree of life.* It has been remarked, however, of our poet, that the 

 making a water-fowl perch upon a tree, implied no great acquaint- 

 ance with the history of Nature. In vindication of Milton, Aristotle 

 expressly says, that the cormorant is the only water-fowl that sits on 

 trees. We have already seen the pelican of this number ; and the 

 cormorant's toes seem as fit for perching upon trees as for swimming ; 

 so that our epic bard seems to have been as deeply versed in natural 

 history as in criticism. 



Indeed, this bird seems to be of a multiform nature ; and wherever 

 fish are to be found, watches their migrations. It is seen as well by 

 land as sea ; it fishes in fresh-water lakes, as well as in the depths of 

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

 preys not only in the daytime, but by night. 



Its indefatigable nature, and its great power in catching fish, were 

 probably the motives that induced some nations to breed this bird up 

 tame, for the purposes of fishing ; and Willoughby assures us, it was 

 once used in England for that purpose. The description of their 

 manner of fishing is thus delivered by Faber. " When they carry 

 them out of the rooms where they are kept, to the fish-pools, they hood- 

 wink them, that they may not be frighted by the way. When they 

 are come to the rivers, they take off their hoods ; and having tied a 

 leather thong round the lower part of their necks, that they may not 

 swallow down the fish they catch, they throw them into the river. 

 They presently dive under water ; and there for a long time with 

 wonderful swiftness, pursue the fish ; and when they have caught them, 

 rise to the top of the water, and pressing the fish lightly with their 

 bills, swallow them ; till each bird hath, after this manner, devoured 

 five or six fishes. Then their keepers call them to the fist, to which 

 thev readily fly; and, one after another, vomit up all their fish, a lit- 

 tle bruised with the first nip given in catching them. When they 

 have done fishing, setting the birds on some high place, they loose the 

 string from their necks, leaving the passage to the stomach free and 

 open; and, for their reward, they throw them part of their prey ; to 

 each one or two fishes, which they will catch most dexterously, as 

 they are falling in the air." 



At present, the cormorant is trained up in every part of China for 

 the same purpose, where there are many lakes and canals. " To 

 fliis end," says Le Comte, " they are educated as men rear up spa- 



* Vide Pennant's Zoology, p. 477 



