THE CORMORANT. 389 



merely of half a dozen bamboo poles, which formed a light 

 raft sufficient for himself and the birds, and was easily 

 paddled with a single oar. During the time Mr. Smith 

 watched their operations, they caught three or four fish, one 

 of which was more than the captor could manage, and 

 weighed down its bill below the stream as it floated towards 

 the raft. It is said that a ring placed round the lower 

 portion of the throat of their fishing Cormorants, disables 

 them from swallowing their prey before the boatman arrives 

 to the rescue. 



To the Pelican succeeds the Cormorant ; so closely, indeed, 

 are they allied, that many naturalists have classed them 

 together, and given them the same scientific name ; for in- 

 stance, our common Cormorant is called Pelicanus carbo. 

 The Cormorant, however, may be distinguished by the claw 

 of the middle toe being indented like a saw,* probably to 

 help him in retaining the slippery bodies of small fish, as the 

 toothed claw of the Herons serves for a similar purpose. 

 Possibly it may further serve so awkwardly-shaped a bird, 

 by enabling it to cling to branches ; for although they usually 

 frequent rocks arid precipices, they can, and very often do, 

 perch on trees. The poet Milton seems to have been aware 

 of this, when he describes Satan taking the form of this ill- 

 favoured bird when he first entered Paradise, devising the 

 ruin of our first parents : 



Up he flew, and on the tree of life 



Sat like a Cormorant devising death 

 To them that lived. 



The poet could not, indeed, easily have selected a fitter frame 

 for the foul fiend than that of a Cormorant : there is some- 

 thing so unearthly about him, as he is seen reposing on a 

 rock, when gorged with food; his slouching form, his wet 

 and vapid wings dangling from his sides to catch the breeze, 

 while his weird, haggard, wildly-staring, emerald-green eyes 

 scowl about in all directions. 



* See figure inserted in page 315. 



