CORMORANT. 



7 



of the waves ; but he boldly defies bis prey in its 

 own element, plunges into the water, dives below 

 the surface, and actually proves himself a more 

 expert swimmer than the very fish themselves. 

 In former days the cormorant was employed in 

 England for the purpose of catching fish; and 

 such is still the case in China. The Chinese 

 cormorant, however, is not the same species as 

 that which is found on our coasts. It is rather 

 a curious circumstance, that one of the mam- 

 malia, namely, the otter, and some of the birds, 

 should be enabled to carry on a successful 

 subaqueous chase, and that both beast and bird 

 have been pressed into the service of man. 



The cormorant is sometimes found inland, 

 especially in the winter season, and exhibits its 

 powers among the fresh-water fish. 



Although the pouch is comparatively small 

 in the cormorant, it still exists, and is useful in 

 giving elasticity to the throat and neck; a pro- 

 perty which is much required, for the cormorant 

 is a very greedy bird, and often swallows fish of 

 so large a size that a throat of twice its dimen- 

 sions seems incapable of permitting the passage 

 of so bulky a body. In order to swallow a fish, 

 the cormorant generally seizes it crosswise, tosses 

 it in the air, and then catches it as it descends 



