160 
THE CORMORANT. 
but for one moment, how many innocent birds their ' 
shot destroys ; how many fall disabled on the wave, ; 
there to linger for hours, perhaps for days, in torture^ I 
and in anguish ; did they but consider how many 
helpless young ones will never see again their parents 
coming to the rock with food ; they would, methinks, , 
adopt some other plan to try their skill, or cheat the 
lingering hour. 
NOTES OF A VISIT TO THE HAUNTS OF THE 
CORMORANT, AND FACTS ON ITS HABITS. I 
The fabulous story concerning the cormorant made 
a great impression upon me in early youth; and I 
well remember with what avidity I first read his true 
history in the pages of BufFon. 
The old fable tells us that the cormorant was once 
a wool-merchant. He entered into partnership with 
the bramble and the bat, and they freighted a large ' 
vessel with wool. She struck on some rocks, and 
went to the bottom. This loss caused the firm to be- 
come bankrupt. Since that disaster, the bat skulks 
in his hiding-hole until twilight, in order that he may 
avoid his creditors : the bramble seizes hold of every 
passing sheep, to make up his loss by retaining part 
of its wool ; while the cormorant is for ever diving 
into the waters of the deep, in hopes of discovering i 
whereabouts his foundered vessel lies. So far for 
the fable, which will always bring pleasing recol- * 
