THE CORMORANT. (293 



Remark able voracity. 



dexterously to catch it when descending, by the 

 proper end,, and so swallow it with ease." 



Cormorants are common on many of our sea 

 coasts: building their nests on the highest parts 

 of the cliffs, that hang over the sea; and laying 

 three or more pale green eggs, about the size of 

 those of a goose. In winter they disperse along 

 the shores, and visit the fresh waters, where they 

 commit great depredations among the fish. 

 They are remarkably voracious; having a most 

 sudden digestion, promoted, perhaps, by the infi- 

 nite quantity of small worms that fill their intes- 

 tines. They are very wary, except when they 

 have filled their stomach; when they become so 

 stupid, that.it is frequently an easy thing to take 

 them in a net, or even by means of a noose 

 thrown over their heads. We are informed by 

 the Rev. Mr. Bingley, that in the year 1798, he 

 saw one that had been seized by the hand, when 

 perched at the top of a rock just behind the 

 town of Caernarvon; and in the year 1793 one 

 of them was observed sitting on the vane of St. 

 Martin's steeple, Ludgate Hill, London, and was 

 shot from thence in the presence of a great num^ 

 ber of people. 



It is no uncommon thing to see twenty of 

 these birds together on the rocks of the sea coast, 

 with extended wings, drying themselves in the 

 wind; in this position they remain sometimes 

 nearly an hour without once closing the wings; 

 and as soon as these are sufficiently dry to enable 



