ClIAP. VI. 
FISHING CORMORANTS. 
89 
much, shipping seas from bow to stern, which set every- 
thing on her decks swimming. I put my head out of 
the cabin-door when the gale was at its height, and the 
first thing I saw was the cormorants devouring the eels, 
which were floating all over the decks. I then knew 
that the jar must have been turned over or smashed to 
pieces, and that of course all the eels which escaped the 
bills of the cormorants were now swimming in the ocean. 
After this I was obliged to feed them upon anything on 
board which I could find ; but when I arrived at Hong- 
kong they were not in very good condition : two of them 
died soon after ; and as there was no hope of taking the 
others home alive, I was obliged to kill them, and pre- 
serve their skins. 
The Chinaman from whom I bought these birds has 
a large establishment for fishing and breeding the birds 
about thirty or forty miles from Shanghae, and between 
that town and Chapoo. They sell at a high price even 
amongst the Chinese themselves — I believe from six to 
eight dollars per pair, that is, from 30s. to 40s. As I 
was anxious to learn something of their food and habits, 
Mr. Medhurst, jun., interpreter to the British consulate 
at Shanghae, kindly undertook to put some questions 
to the man who brought them, and sent me the following 
notes connected with this subject : — 
" The fish-catching birds eat small fish, yellow eels, 
and pulse-jelly. At five P.M. every day each bird will 
eat six taels (eight ounces) of eels or fish, and a catty of 
pulse-jelly. They lay eggs after three years, and in the 
fourth or fifth month. Hens are used to incubate the 
eggs. When about to lay their faces turn red, and then 
