456 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



step further by comparing it to Satan, or rather, he supposes the 

 arch-fiend to have entered its form before assuming that of a 

 serpent to betray man : 



" Thence up he flew, and on the tree of life, 

 The middle tree, and highest there that grew, 

 Sat like a Cormorant." 



From living exclusively upon fish, its flesh, as I have been in- 

 formed by those who have had the courage to taste it, is peculiarly 

 rank and unpleasant. An old friend of mine told me lately that 

 he had cooked one and eaten part of it about forty years ago, and 

 that the terribly fishy flavour was in his mouth still. Perhaps 

 Milton had some such gastronomic recollections of the bird. 



In the Outer Hebrides the Common Cormorant is much less 

 numerous than on the south-western mainland, its place there 

 being to a great extent occupied by the next species. It frequents 

 various caves on the east side of the Long island from Barra to 

 Lewis, and is also found on the Haskeir rocks. Within the circle 

 of the inner islands it is found breeding on some parts of the coasts 

 of Skye, Mull, and Islay, likewise in Rum, Eigg, and Canna. Mr 

 Graham informs me that it is frequently met with in lona and 

 Staffa, though it is by no means so common as the green cormo- 

 rant. On all these islands it breeds apart from its ally, and 

 invariably perches at a higher elevation on the rocks. 



Some of the old writers whom I have consulted would appear to 

 recommend this bird with all its imperfections as an article of food. 

 Martin, in his quaint description of the Isle of Skye, thus refers to 

 the subject : " The Sea-Fowls are Malls of all kinds, Coulterneb, 

 Guillamot, Sea Cormorant, etc. The Natives observe that the 

 latter, if perfectly black, makes no good Broth, nor is its Flesh worth 

 eating; but that a Cormorant which has any white Feathers or 

 Down, makes good Broth and the Flesh of it is good Food, and the 

 Broth is usually drunk by Nurses to increase their Milk." He does 

 not, however, ascribe any unusual rapacity to the natives who 

 were so unfortunate as to have been brought up under this 

 peculiar treatment. 



