DIVER. 05 



9.— CHINESE DIVER —Pl clxxii. 



Colymbus Sinensis, Ind. Om. ii. 802. Gm. Lin. i. 586. 

 Chinese Diver, Gen. Syn. vi. 345. pl. 97. 



SIZE uncertain. Bill dusky; irides ash-colour ; upper parts of 

 the head, neck, body, wings, and tail dusky greenish brown ; the 

 middle of the feathers much darker; fore part of the neck the same, 

 but paler; chin pale rufous; the breast and under parts pale rufous 

 white, marked with dusky rufous spots; quills and tail plain brown, 

 the last short; legs ash-colour. 



Supposed to inhabit China, as I saw it among some other well 

 painted drawings at Sir J. Banks's; it was in the attitude of fishing, 

 with a brass ring round the neck like the annexed figure. 



From the various and uncertain accounts of authors, we are not 

 clear how many birds the Chinese use for catching fish : the custom, 

 however, of doing so, is manifest, from the relations of many 

 travellers: when used for this purpose it has a ring fastened round 

 the neck, to prevent its swallowing, and to this a slender, long 

 string is fastened ; and, thus accoutred, is taken by its master into his 

 fishing boat, from the edge of which it is taught to plunge after 

 the fish, as they swim by; and as the ring prevents their passing 

 further downwards, they are taken from the month of the bird as fast 

 as they are caught; in this manner, sometimes, a great many are 

 procured in a few hours: when the keeper of the bird has taken a 

 sufficient quantity for himself, the ring is removed, and the poor 

 slave suffered to satisfy its own hunger.* 



We do not assert that this bird is the one most commonly used 

 for the above purpose, but have thought proper to figure it, as a 

 species, if not new, at least as not generally known ; and probably, 

 from the circumstance of its situation in the drawing, may prove one 

 of the birds employed on this occasion. 



* See an account of this method of fishing in Du Halde's History of China. Osbeck's 

 Voy. ii. p. 35. Salmon. Mod. Hist. i. p. 18. Will. Om. p. 329. and many other authors. 

 For a further account, see Article Corvorant. 



