CORMORANT. 3 



or logs of floating timber, and may often be noticed perched 

 on a rail or withered tree by the water side. They now- 

 arid then follow the course of a river for several miles 

 inland, both by flight and swimming. Sir William Jardine 

 says, 'We have known several birds take up a regular 

 station, remaining to fish on_the river, and roosting during 

 night on its banks, upon some overhanging trees, and where 

 inland lakes or waters are situate at no great distance from, 

 the sea, they are constantly frequented.' 



Under the head of 'Sporting by Steam,' a curious circum- 

 stance is related in the 'Zoologist,' page 3712, by the Rev. 

 Gr. Gordon, of one of these birds having been struck down 

 and killed by the funnel of the engine of an express trail', 

 as it was crossing the Loch of Spynie, in Elginshire, on the 

 20th. of September, 1852. It had a flounder ten inches 

 long in its bill at the time, and both bird and fish were 

 taken up. On the sea these birds are undeniably shy, yet 

 on inland water, that for instance at Mr. Waterton's, where 

 not disturbed, they seem to have little fear. 



Young Cormorants become perfectly tame, and are readily 

 trained in this country, as well as in China, where, as is 

 well known, the practice is a regular and established one, 

 to catch fish for their owners, the precaution being taken 

 of placing a ring round the neck of the bird, to prevent 

 the prey from being totally swallowed. Montagu mentions 

 one which never seemed to be so happy as when permitted 

 to remain by the side of its master. Some kept by Dr. 

 Neill used to roost with the poultry, but to usurp the best 

 places. One of them laid two eggs while in the domesti- 

 cated state. Sir Robert Shafto Adair, Bart, reported to 

 Mr. Yarrell the circumstance of a pair of Cormorants having 

 fed and brought up a nest of young Ravens, whose own 

 parents had been destroyed. They provided them with a 

 constant supply of fish. 



My friend the Rev. R. P. Alington mentions in 'The 

 Naturalist,' vol. iv., page 209, how the Cormorant not unoften 

 rests, apparently alter long journeys, upon elevated spots. 

 Many years ago one perched upon the tower of West Rasen 

 Church, as another had previously done on the splendid spire 

 of Louth Church. This reminds me of a still more remark- 

 able circumstance with regard to this church and another 

 denizen of the sea, which he once narrated to me, as having, 

 I think he said, seen himself, -when a boy at school in that 



