FISHING WITH CORMORANTS 299 



up its immediate surroundings, the boat, the figures and faces 

 of the men and the birds on the water, vividly disclosing a 

 scene most strikingly picturesque. The flat-bottomed boat, 

 about 40 feet long, had four occupants, and was worked close 

 along the shore and in very shallow water. The "boss" 

 standing in the bows, immediately behind the fire, handled 

 twelve birds, the next man in importance in the centre working 

 four; the third uttered sharp cries and made other noises to 

 encourage the birds, while the duty of No. 4 consisted in the 

 management of the boat. The fish, attracted by the strong 

 glare of the fire in the brazier, collected in large number in 

 the water below, and became an easy prey to the birds, who, 

 regardless of the light and falling red-hot ashes, rush and dive 

 in among them without a moment's rest. No less than twelve 

 cormorants were worked by the man in the bows at the same 

 time by means of twelve long strings, of which one end is fas- 

 tened round the bird's body while the other is held in the hand ; 

 as all the cormorants are in the water and fishing at the same 

 time, it seemed not by any means an easy matter to prevent the 

 " reins" from becoming hopelessly entangled, which feat the 

 owner, however, accomplished without much difficulty. Every 

 bird carries a horn ring round the base of his throat, which 

 prevents him swallowing any fish but the very small ones 

 those useless for market purposes. Whenever a cormorant 

 appeared gorged and distended down to the ring, he was at 

 once hauled up into the boat, his beak opened, and by a little 

 pressure made to empty himself of his prey, when overboard he 

 went again as keen as ever to fill his pouch once more. It was, 

 indeed, a busy scene, and only after three hours' hard and 

 constant work were the birds finally hauled into the boat, and, 

 apparently well pleased with themselves, they perched in a row 

 on the overhanging bows to be taken home. The result was 

 several baskets of fish " ai " trout, and other small fry, all 

 very silvery, the largest about four inches long. The money 

 gained can be but little, hardly worth the expense, one would 

 think, of boat, men, the keep of the birds during the winter 

 nine months, in fact, for they are only used during three and 

 only on dark nights is the fishing practised here. Within a 

 few miles of Tokyo some fishermen use cormorants, but by day 

 only ; the visitors' boat is moved slowly along within easy 



