3S 



the bird to a certain degree is allowed to work independently at 

 catching fisli and within a year or two it becomes a perfect 

 master at fishing. The bird is fed at noon once a day with 

 one and two-thirds of a pound of clam prey and crusian carp 

 with the exception of the trout fishing season (plecogrossus 

 altivelis) which extends from May nth to October 15th. Cormor- 

 ant fishing is carried on every night from May nth to October 

 15 th every year, this being the time when the ay it or a kind of 

 trout grows to a certain size. Every day, with the exception of 

 a full moonlight night and when the water grows muddy after 

 rain, the boat is glided down the stream from the upper to 

 the lower course while there is no moon. The cormorant 

 fishing boat has one chief cormorant trainer, one assistant and 

 two boatmen. At the stern of the boat torches are lighted 

 while the chief cormorant at the stern manipulates 12 cormor- 

 ants, the assistant trainer in the centre looks after four cormor- 

 ants, the manipulation of the cormorants in fishing is carried on 

 somewhat in the following manner. The cormorant trainer has 

 a rope in his left hand which he lets out in older to make the 

 action of the bird free for catching fish. As the bird sinks, 

 floats and swims after the fish the rope is unravelled adroitly. 

 The bird that has swallowed a large number of fish is drawn up 

 on the boat and the trainer with his right hand presses \hz throat 

 of the bird holding the rope in his left, the beak of the bird 

 is opened to let out the fish and soon aftter the bird is set to 

 fishing again. At times several fish boats are so arranged as 

 to surround the place where the the water is muddy in order to 

 catch the fish. On such occasions the torches on the boats reflect 

 the water which shines brighter than broad day light. The boat 

 men beating the sides of the boats, cormorant trainers shouting 



