Cuassll. COMMON CORVORANT. 
six or seven white eggs of an oblong form. In 
winter they disperse along the shores, and visit 
fresh waters, where they make great havoke 
among the fish. They are remarkably vora- 
cious, having a most sudden digestion, promoted 
by the infinite quantity of small worms which 
fill their intestmes. The corvorant, even when 
alive, has the rankest and most disagreeable 
smell of any bird. Its form is disgusting, its 
voice hoarse and croaking, and its qualities base: 
no wonder then that MZilton should make Satan 
personate this bird, to survey undelighted the 
beauties of Paradise, and sit devising death on 
the tree of life.* 
These birds have been trained to fish like fal- 
cons tofowl. /Vhitelock tells us, that he had a 
cast of them manned like hawks, and which 
would come to hand. He took much pleasure 
in them, and relates, that the best he had was 
one presented him by Mr. Woop, Master of 
the Corvoranits to CHaRLeEs I. Itis well known 
that the Chinese make great use of a congene- 
rous sort, in fishing, and that not for amuse- 
ment, but profit. 
* Paradise Lost, Book iv. 1. 194, &c. 
+ Duhaldei. 316. The Chinese Corvorant. Lath. Supp. ii. 
364. Sir G. Staunton’s Embassy to China, ii. p: 388—412, 
tab. 72. Ep. 
285 
