388 FISHING CORMORANTS. 



on the backs of the buffaloes, which are plunging into the 

 water, and patiently accommodating themselves to this in- 

 cumbrance.* We know that cows will allow of Magpies 

 sitting on their backs, and pecking holes in their hides, for 

 which they ought to be grateful, as the Magpie is doing the 

 poor beast an essential service, by ridding it of the grub of 

 the Gad-fly (CEstrus bovis], the sound of even one of which 

 will send a herd oif at full gallop, with their tails in the air ; 

 but as the Pelican's beak is by no means fitted for boring 

 into the tough coat of a buffalo, we cannot account for the 

 apparent satisfaction expressed by the animal on its making 

 this settlement. 



Of the voracity and capacious stomach of the Pelican, as 

 well as of his pouch, we have spoken before (p. 44). Of this 

 the Chinese take advantage, and train a species of Pelican or 

 Cormorant, called by them Loo-fou, as fishing birds. Mr. 

 Smith, an intelligent missionary, gives a detailed account of 

 this mode of fishing, which came under his immediate obser- 

 vation when at Nantai, in China. Generally about the time 

 of low water a boatman might be seen near the arches of the 

 bridge, with four or five Cormorants perched on its gunwale. 

 At a given signal from the owner, one of these birds bounded 

 from the boat into the stream, and after looking about for a 

 few moments, dived to the bottom, becoming invisible, some- 

 times for two minutes, when it generally arose at forty or 

 fifty yards' distance to breathe. After another minute, the 

 bird again descended, and repeated the process till it brought 

 a fish to the surface struggling in its beak. This was a 

 signal to the boatman to paddle his little vessel to the spot, 

 where he cast a net into the river, and hauled both bird and 

 fish into the boat. The bird, conscious of its desert, flapped 

 its wings, and by various odd motions sought the usual 

 reward of a piece of fish or other food for its success. Some- 

 times two Cormorants were fishing at the same time, and 

 were often for many minutes apparently lost. The fisherman, 

 however, easily followed them, his little boat consisting 



* MIGNAN'S Travels. 



