162 FACULTIES OF BIRDS. 



more favourable one as it descends. In thus turning 

 the fish, the delatable skin under the bill is of great 

 use, but is by no means deserving of the appellation 

 of a pouch, not being capable of more distension than 

 any other part of the gullet (oesophagus) ; nor can it 

 be used as a reservoir for provisions, either for its own 

 use or for the use of its young, as asserted by some 

 authors. It lives in perfect harmony with the wild 

 swan, goose, various sort of ducks and other birds, 

 but to a gull with a piece of fish it will instantly give 

 chase: in this it seemed actuated by a desire to pos- 

 sess the fish, for if the gull has time to swallow it, no 

 resentment was offered. Apparently the sight of the 

 fish created a desire of possession, which ceased when 

 it had disappeared*. 5 ' 



We find the following story given by the Dutch 

 naturalist, Jonston, from Odoric. " In a certaine 

 city," says he, "scituate by the great river in the 

 East, we went to see our host fish. I saw in his 

 little ships, cormorants tied upon a perch, and he had 

 tied their throat with a string, that they should not 

 swallow the fish they took. In every bark they set 

 three great panniers, one in the middle, and at each 

 end one ; then they let loose their cormorants, who 

 presently caught abundance of fish, which they put 

 into the panniers, so that in a short time they filled 

 them all. Then mine host took off the straps from 

 their necks, and let them fish for themselves : when 

 they were full, they came back to their pearches arid 

 were tied up again t." Scaliger says that a similar 

 mode of fishing was practised at Venice J. 



In consequence of the pelican (Pelecanus onocro- 

 talus, ALDROVAND) being furnished with a peculiar 

 organ for storing up its prey, it would seem to be 

 still better adapted than the cormorant for being 



* Ornith. Diet. p. 102, 2d edit. 



f History of Wonderful Things, p. 185, fol. Loudon, 1657. 

 J Exereitat, xxxviii. 3. 



