41 
The Corvorant is so dexterous in fishing, 
and so voracious,** that when it visits a 
pool, it commits more havock alone than a 
whole flock of piscivorous birds. Fortunate- 
ly, it resides almost constantly in the neigh- 
bourhood of the sea, and seldom occurs far 
inland, except in very severe winters ; at 
such times we have observed them even 
near Norwich. As it can remain a great 
length of time under water, and swims 
with the rapidity of a dart, its prey scarcely 
ever escapes, and it almost always emerges 
holding a fish across in its beak : to swal- 
low the victim it employs a singular expe- 
dient ; it tosses up the fish in the air, and 
dexterously catches the head in falling, so 
that the fins lie flat and favour the passage 
down the throat, while the membranous 
skin that lines the under side of its beak 
stretches to admit the whole body of the 
fish, which is often very large in proportion 
to the neck of the bird. 
The following anecdote is extracted from 
Lowe's History of the Orkney's, and may 
* One kept tame by Montagu would devour six or 
eight pounds of fish in a day. 
