BIRDS TRAINED TO HUNT 133 



sufficient fish are collected, the cormorant is 

 treated to a few, and the fisherman journeys to 

 market with the remainder of his catch. 



Although this form of fishing is undertaken no- 

 where hut in the East, it is a sport that any one 

 can take part in if he will take the trouble of catch- 

 ing and taming a young cormorant. A pelican 

 would doubtless prove more productive of excite- 

 ment, if it could be trained to return to the fisher- 

 man the moment the fish becomes locked in its 

 pouch. This bird plunges upon its prey from the 

 air and would have to be taught to return to some 

 sort of lure. It would be amusing to make the 

 trial. 



Thus far none of the sports mentioned above 

 have gained a foothold in the United States. 

 Experiments have been carried on with the sharp- 

 shin and Cooper's hawk with promising results, 

 and there is little doubt that these birds will prove 

 as tractable as the Old World sparrow-hawk. We 

 have also our own peregrine and goshawk, with 

 the pigeon-hawk to take the place of the merlin. 

 Falconry is well worth a serious trial. 



