Chap. VI. 
FISHING CORMORANTS. 
87 
that they went on the water immediately, scattered 
themselves over the canal, and began to look for fish. 
They have a beautiful sea-green eye, and, quick as light- 
ning, they see and dive upon the finny tribe, which, once 
caught in the sharp-notched bill of the bird, never by 
any possibility can escape. The cormorant now rises to 
the surface with the fish in his bill, and the moment he 
is seen by the Chinaman he is called back to the boat. 
As docile as a dog he swims after his master, and allows 
himself to be pulled into the San-pan, where he disgorges 
his prey, and again resumes his labours. And, what is 
more wonderful still, if one of the cormorants gets hold 
of a fish of large size, so large that he would have some 
difficulty in taking it to the boat, some of the others, 
seeing his dilemma, hasten to his assistance, and with 
their efforts united capture the animal and haul him off 
to the boat. Sometimes a bird seemed to get lazy or 
playful, and swam about without attending to his busi- 
ness ; and then the Chinaman, with a long bamboo, 
which he also used for propelling the boat, struck the 
water near where the bird was, without, however, hurting 
him, calling out to him at the same time in an angry 
tone. Immediately, like the truant schoolboy who neg- 
lects his lessons and is found out, the cormorant gives 
up his play and resumes his labours. A small string is 
put round the neck of the bird, to prevent him from 
swallowing the fish which he catches ; and great care is 
taken that this string is placed and fastened so that it 
will not slip farther down upon his neck and choke him, 
which otherwise it would be very apt to do. 
Since I first saw these birds on the Ning-po canal I 
