WATER-FOWL. 199 



niels or hawks, and one man can easily manage a hundred. The fishci 

 carries them out into the lake, perched on the gunnel of his boat, 

 where they continue tranquil, and expecting his orders with patience. 

 When arrived at the proper place, at the first signal given, each flies 

 a different way to fulfil the task assigned it. It is very pleasant, on 

 this occasion, to behold with what sagacity they portion out the lake 

 or the canal where they are upon duty. They hunt about, they 

 plunge, they rise a hundred times to the surface, until they have at 

 last found their prey. They then seize it with their beak by the mid- 

 dle, and carry it without fail to their master. When the fish is too 

 large, they then give each other mutual assistance : one seizes it by 

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

 together. There the boat-man stretches out one of his long oars, on 

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

 to pursue their sport. When they are wearied, he lets them rest for 

 a while ; but they are never fed till their work is over. In this man- 

 ner they supply a very plentiful table ; but still their natural gluttony 

 cannot be reclaimed even by education. They have always, while 

 they fish, the same string fastened round their throats, to prevent 

 them from devouring their prey, as otherwise they would at once sa- 

 tiate themselves, and discontinue their pursuit the moment they had 

 filled their bellies." 



As for the rest, the cormorant is the best fisher of all birds ; and 

 though fat and heavy with the quantity it devours, is nevertheless 

 generally upon the wing. The great activity with which it pursues, 

 and from a vast height drops down to dive after its prey, offers one 

 of the most amusing spectacles to those who stand upon a cliff on the 

 shore. This large bird is seldom seen in the air, but where there are 

 fish below ; but then they must be near the surface, before it will 

 venture to souse upon them. If they are at a depth beyond what the 

 impetus of its flight makes the cormorant capable of diving to, they 

 certainly escape him ; for this bird cannot move so fast under water, 

 as the fish can swim. It seldom, however, makes an unsuccessful 

 dip ; and is often seen rising heavily, with a fish larger than it can 

 readily devour. It sometimes also happens, that the cormorant has 

 caught the fish by the tail ; and consequently the fins prevent its be- 

 ing easily swallowed in that position. In this case, the bird is seen 

 to toss its prey above its head, and very dexterously to catch it when 

 descending, by the proper end, and so swallow it with ease. 



CHAPTER V. 



OF THE GANNET OR SOLAND GOOSE. 



THE Gannet is of the size of a tame goose, but its wings mac* 

 longer, being six feet over. The bill is six inches long, straight aJ- 



