Book III. O^^lT HO LOqT. ? 2 9 



the top of the head, which with age grows yellow. The young ones are partico- 

 loured of white and dark brown or black, efpecially on the upper part of the body. 

 The number of quil-feathers in each Wing is about thirty two. The Tail is white, 

 about feven inches long, confifting of twelve feathers. The skin is very full, flicking 

 loofe to the flefh. 



The Bird we defcribed was taken alive near Cole/hi I, a Market Town in Warwick: 

 fiire, not being able by reafon of the length of his Wings to raife himfelf from the 

 ground, on which, I know not by what chance, he had fallen down. The blind guts 

 were very ftiort: Scarce any footftep remaining of the channel conveying the Yolk 

 into the guts. 



In the Bafs Ifland in Scotland, lying in the middle of Edinburgh Frith, gaud no 

 where elfe, that I know of, in Britany, a huge number ofthefe Birds doth yearly 

 breed. Each Female lays only one Egg. Upon this Ifland the Birds, being never {hot 

 at or frightned, are fo confident as to alight and feed their young ones clofe by you. 

 They feed only upon fifti, yet are the young Geefe counted a great dainty by the Scots, • 

 and (old very dear, fo that the Lord of the Iflet makes no fmall profit of them year- 

 ly. They come in the Spring, and go not away again before the Autumn. Whither 

 they go, and where they Winter is to me unknown. 



Chap. III. 

 The Cormorant : Corvusaquaticus. 



IN bignefs it is not much inferiour to a Gooje. The colour on the upper fide is 

 dusky, fhining with an obfcure tincture of green 5 exactly like that of a Shag. 

 The Breaft and Belly are white. Each Wing hath about thirty quil-feathers, the 

 extreme tips whereof,as alfo of thofe of the fecond row,area little aih-coloured. The 

 Tail is extended beyond the Feet, being an hand-breadth and an half long, when 

 fpread ending in a round circumference, being concave on the underfide, confifting of 

 fourteen ftiff hard feathers, not being in any part covered with feathers incumbent 

 on it either above or beneath. The Bill is like that of the Shag, three inches and an 

 half long, hooked at the end j the upper Mandible black with (harp edges 5 the fides 

 of the lower Mandible comprefled and broad. The Tongue fmall, and almoft none. 

 The Eyes fituate nearer the aperture of the Mouth than in moft other birds, having 

 cinereous circles round the Pupil. The Legs are ftrong, thick, but very fhort, 

 broad, and flat, atleaftin the young ones. The Feet and Claws black, covered with 

 a skin not divided into perfect lcales, but cancellated. It hath four Toes in each foot, 

 all web'd together by a broad black membrane, and (landing forward, the outmoft the 

 longed, the reft in order (horter, The Claw of the middle Toe is ferrate on the in- 

 fide. But what is efpecially remarkable in this Bird, wherein it chiefly differs,t he big- 

 nefs excepted, from the Shag, is, that the bafsoi the nether Chap is covered with a 

 naked yellow skin or membrane, like the Elks. 



Its ftomach is membranaceous,but its upper part thick and glandulous : Within were 

 bones of fifties which it had devoured, and alio one fifh entire 5 that was a fmall Cod- 

 fjh' alfo many little, long, blackifh worms of the figure of Earthworms. Such like 

 worms alio Wix.WiUughby found in the ftomach of a young one, which he got at Se- 

 venths in Holland, where many birds of this kind build upon trees. The Guts are 

 long, having many revolutions : The blind Guts very fmall: The Liver large,divided 

 into two Lobes, the right one the bigger. It is infefted with Lice of a pale red co- 

 lour, having a great black fpot in the middle of their Backs. 



They are wont (faith *Jo.Faber) in England to train up Cormorants to fifliing. * in his A*. 

 When they carry them out of the rooms where they are kept to the fiib-pools, they notatiopsAgotf 

 hood-wink them,that they be not frightned by the way. When they are come to the AtSn'Ss/ 

 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 fifti they catch, they throw 

 them into the River. They prefently dive under water, and there for a long time 

 with wonderful fwiftnefs purfue the fifti, and when they have caught them they arife 

 prefently to the top of the water, and preffmg the fifh lightly with their Bills they 

 fwallow them 5 till each Bird hath after this manner devoured five or fix fifties. Then 

 their Keepers call them to the fift, to which they readily fly, and little by little one 



" U u after 



