THE ROD IN SALT WATER 409 



I am aware that there are lasses who stick them in 

 their hats. Why, if the face underneath the hat is 

 comely, it needs no such advertisement ; and if it is 

 of the other kind, the less attention drawn to it the 

 better ! Occasionally, particularly in northern waters, 

 a large dark bird is seen among the gulls, generally 

 the centre of a commotion. This is a skua, a robber 

 of the air, a pirate of the lochs, which waits till the 

 feebler gulls have picked up a fish, then dashes at them 

 in the air, forcing them to drop their prize, and recover- 

 ing it before it touches the water. Near Aberdeen 

 the fishermen call them " Dirty Devils," and in Corn- 

 wall " Jack Harries," because they harry the gulls. 



The shag and cormorant, which do not soar like 

 the gulls, but fly swift and close to the water with out- 

 stretched necks, are birds of another feather and dark 

 as sin. They are greedy fellows, eating only living 

 food and therefore useless as scavengers. They are 

 silent fowl, making none of the tumult of the gulls at 

 meal-time, so they are useless as guides to the where- 

 abouts of the shoals. They do not offer easy shots, 

 for they fly fast, dive at the flash of the gun, and carry 

 away almost as much shot as an elephant. Wherefore, 

 I have no hesitation in saying shoot them whenever 

 so inclined, for there is no danger of exterminating the 

 species. They are terrible enemies to a trout stream, 

 once they find it out, and he who would blame a keeper 

 for shooting them would blame the man for saying 

 his prayers. Their bright green eye is full of evil. 



