346 DIVER. 



with dufky rufous fpots : the quills and tail are plain brown, the 

 laft fhort : legs afh-colour. 

 Place. Suppofed to inhabit China, as I faw it among other well- 



painted drawings at Sir Jofeph Banks's; it was in the attitude of 

 fifhing, with a brajs ring round the middle of the neck, in the 

 manner of the annexed figure. 



From the various and uncertain accounts of authors, we are 

 not clear what birds the Chineje ufe for catching fifh j the cuftom, 

 however, of doing it is manifeft, from the relations of many tra- 

 vellers. — The bird ufed for this purpofe has a ring faftened 

 round the middle of the neck, in order to prevent its fwallowing; 

 befides this it has a (lender long firing faftened to itj and, thus 

 accoutred, is taken by its mafter into his fifhing-boat, from the 

 edge of which it is taught to plunge after the fifh as they pafs 

 by ; and as the ring prevents their paffing further downwards, 

 they are taken from the mouth of the bird as faft as they are 

 caught. In this manner fometimes a great many are procured 

 in the courfe of a few hours. When the keeper of the bird has 

 taken fufficient for himfelf, the ring is taken off, and the poor 

 flave fuffered to fatisfy its own hunger *. 



We do not here give this bird as the one moft commonly 

 ufed for the above purpofe -, but have thought right to figure it, 

 as a fpecies, if not new, at leaft as not generally known ; and 

 probably, from the circumftance of its fituation in the painting, 

 may prove one of the birds ufed on this occafion. 



* See an account of this method of fidiing in Da Halde Hiji. China.— OJb. 

 Vay. ii. p. 35. — Salmon Mod. Hift. i. p. 18. — Will. Orn. p. 329. and many other 

 authors. — For a further account of this matter confult the article Corvorant. 



6 Genus 



