MISCELLANEOUS BIRDS. 159 



the capture of fish. It belongs to the same family as the pelican, 

 which latter bird does not, as far as I know, come as far north as these 

 districts. The cormorant is an eminently ungainly bn-d out of the 

 water. It is an excellent diver, however, and when under water displays 

 a wonderful grace. I once saw one being fed in a large glass tank in the 

 London Zoo, and the way it darted about after the fish was a sight I 

 shall never forget. In less time than it takes to write every one of the 

 hundred or so little fish placed in the tank had disappeared down its 

 hungry gullet. I have since seen them at work catching fish in the 

 ChihH lakes. Though of a black colour the feathers have a fine metal- 

 lic sheen, which in conjunction with the bright emerald green eye, 

 light silvery crest and graceful beak, does much to redeem the awkwa"d 

 appearance of the bird. 



The cormorant builds its nest on low trees in marshy and watery 

 districts, laying from three to six eggs. The young feed from their 

 parents' crops by thrusting their heads down the gullets of the latter. 



The other aquatic birds, which we have not yet considered are 

 the rails, coots, gulls and grebes. The rails are represented by a species 

 known as Hallus indicus. This is an inconspicuous brown bird, about 

 the size of a spring chicken. It skulks in the reeds and grasses of the 

 marshy districts. It is seldom seen as it hardly ever leaves cover. It 

 has long, legs and toes, a short beak, and short tail. I have not come 

 across the corncrake or landrail in North China, though in North Shansi 

 I found a very much smaller variety of the water-rail type, which I have 

 been unable to identify. 



The moorhen (Gallinula chloropua) and also the coot {Fulica atra) 

 are both well known to the sportsman. The first is a small dark gray 

 bird with long green legs and slightly lobed toes, and a red beak. There 

 is a peculiar naked disk of flesh upon the forehead, being a continua- 

 tion from the base of the beak. The coot is about twice the size of 

 the moorhen, has plumage of the same colour, but the toes are very 

 much more lobed. The beak and face-disk or shield are of fine ivory 

 white. Both birds are very common in marshy districts, and breed 

 in this country. 



In the vicinity of Tientsin several species of gull are to be seen, 

 which have found their ways up from the sea coast to feed in the marshes 

 and lakes of the flat lands. Most conspicuous amongst these are the 

 terns, one of which Sterna fluviatilis follows up the large rivers and 

 may be found right in the interior. It has a black head, grey back and 

 white under parts, with a swallow tail. 



