102 



CORMORANT. 



fish : after this, it made no further attempt for three days, appearing 

 convinced there were none to be found. 



The dexterity with which this bir4 seizes its prey is incredible. 

 Knowing- its own powers, if a fish is thrown into the water at a dis- 

 tance, it will dive immediately, pursuing its course under water, in a 

 direct line to that spot, never failing to take the fish, and that fre- 

 quently before it falls to the bottom. The quantity it will swallow 

 at a meal is astonishing ; three or four pounds twice a day are readily 

 devoured, the digestion being excessively rapid. If by accident a large 

 fish sticks in the gullet, it has the power of inflating that part to its 

 utmost, and while in that state, the head and neck are shaken violently, 

 in order to promote its passage. This is a property we never observed 

 in any other bird, but it is probably common to the rest of the tribe, or 

 such as are destitute of nasal apertures. That all birds have a commu- 

 nication between their lungs, and the cavity of their body surrounding 

 the viscera, more or less, is well known ; but as there is no passage into 

 the cesophagus but by the mouth, to effect this inflation, a violent com- 

 pression of the body becomes necessary at the same time the bill is 

 closed, and the air is forced back into the mouth and pressed into the 

 gullet. It is observable, that in the act of fishing, this bird always car- 

 ries its head under water, in order that it may discover its prey at a 

 greater distance, and with more certainty than could be effected by 

 keeping its eyes above the surface, which is agitated by the air, and 

 rendered unfit for visional purposes. If the fish is of the flat 

 kind, it will turn it in the bill, so as to reverse its natural position, 

 and by this means only could such be got within the bill : if it 

 succeeds in capturing an eel, which is its favorite food, in an un- 

 favorable position for gorging, it will throw the fish up to a distance, 

 dexterously catching it in a more favorable one as it descends. In thus 

 turning the fish, the delatable skin under the bill is of great use, but is 

 by no means deserving of the appellation of a pouch, not being capable 

 of more distension than any other part of the cesophagus ; nor can it 

 be used as a reservoir for provisions, either for its own use, or for the 

 use of its young, as asserted by some authors. Another action which 

 seems peculiar to this bird and its congeners, is violently beating the 

 waters with its wings, without moving from the spot, followed by a 

 shake of the whole body, ruffling all its feathers, at the same time 

 covering itself with water. This singular action it will repeat twenty 

 times, with small intervals of rest, when it will retire to^an elevated 

 place on shore, and spread or flap its wings till they are dry. It lives 

 in perfect harmony with the wild swan, goose, various sort of ducks, 

 and other birds, but to a gull with a piece of fish it will instantly give 



