596 PELICAN. 



of a ring, keeping them in the houfe with due care, as is ufed in 

 refpect to the Falcons ; but we do not believe that the practice 

 has ever been very common in this kingdom, fince it is not no- 

 ticed by authors in general, as it muft have been, if in frequent 

 ufe. Willughby, who mentions the circumftance *, quotes, in the 

 margin, his authority, from Faker's notes on Recchus's animals j 

 but on infpedling the paffage alluded tof, we are merely told, 

 that fome Corvorants, which had been trained for fifhing, were 

 fent, along with a Vulture, as a prefent from England to the king 

 of France; that they were hood-winked till they were let off to 

 fifh, in the manner of the Falcon, and would fetch Trouts out of 

 the river very dexteroufly. However, that they were now and then 

 ufed is plain, both from the above paffage, as well as what we 

 learn from the Br. Zoology J. A circumftance is likewife men- 

 tioned 



* " When they come to the rivers, they take off their hoods, and, having tied 

 '* a leather thong round the lower part of their necks, that they may not fwallow 

 " down the^ they catch, they throw them into the river. They prefently dive 

 , *' under water, and there for a long time (with wonderful fwiftnefs) purfue the 

 " fijh, and when they have caught them, they arife prefently to the top of the 

 ** water, and preffing the fjh lightly with their bills, they fwallow them, till 

 " each bird hath in this manner fwallowed five or fix fifhes ; then their keepers 

 " call them to the fji, to which they readily fly, and, little by little, one after 

 " another, vomit up all their fjh, a little bruifed with the nip they gave them 

 " with their bills. When they have done fifhing, fetting the birds on fome 

 " high place, they loofe the firing from their necks, leaving the paffage to the 

 " ftomach free and open, and for their reward they throw them part of their 

 " prey they have caught, to each perchance one or two fillies, which they by the 

 " way, as they are falling in the air, will catch moll dexteroufly in their mouths." 

 Witt. Orn. p. 329. 



+ See Hernand. Mexic. p. 693. 



t Wbiiehck tells us, " that he had a call of them manned like Hfiivit, and 



" which 



