THE HOME OF THE CORMORANT. 265 



to take haggard cormorants for His Majesty's disport in 

 fishing, the yearly allowance of eighty-four pounds, to be 

 paid on the four usual feasts of the year, during His 

 Majesty's pleasure, in such manner as John Wood and 

 Robert Wood, or George Hutchinson, gentlemen, formerly 

 received."* 



Although Shakespeare has mentioned the cormorant in 

 many of his Plays, he has nowhere alluded to the sport 

 with trained birds ; and this is somewhat singular, inas- 

 much as he has made frequent mention of the then popu- 

 lar pastime of hawking, and he did not die until some 

 years after James I. had made fishing with cormorants 

 a fashionable amusement.-|- The sport has long since 

 ceased to amuse royalty, and by English sportsmen is 

 now almost abandoned.^ 



To return to the sea, the true home of the cormorant ; 

 that sea 



" Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege 

 Of watery Neptune." 



Richard II. Act ii. Sc. i. 



" Those who have never observed our boldest coasts," 

 says Oliver Goldsmith, " have no idea of their tremendous 



* Sidney Bere, in Land and Water, April 20, 1867. 



f In " Chambers's Journal " for 1859, will be found an interesting article upon 

 the subject, entitled "The King and his Cormorants." 



J Mr. Salvin, to whom we have before referred, and Mr. E. C. Newcome, of 

 Feltwell Hall, Norfolk, still keep and use trained cormorants ; as, through the 

 kindness of the former, we have had pleasant opportunities of attesting. 



