THE CORMOKANT. 
r>i7 
ing a very high degree of intelligence, and an amount of 
aftection scarcely to he expected from a bird which in its 
wild state is remarkable for its extreme shyness of man. Some 
years ago a very young male was taken from one of the Nortli 
Skerries and brought to Halligarth, where he soon became a 
most interesting pet. At first he required careful feeding, for 
it was some weeks before he became aware that opening his 
bill was the necessary preliminary to every meal. He would 
appear eager for food, and, uttering the usual peculiar cry, 
would strike at whatever was offered him, but with his bill 
closed, and in this manner he would have starved but for 
human aid. Afterwards he caused but little trouble, for when 
the Ducks were fed he would rush boldly in among them, and 
appropriate anything in the shape of fish or flesh that happened 
to suit his fancy, but he never would eat salted food. Some- 
times, also, when he saw a boy coming to the house with fish, 
he would waylay him, and, if no contributions were then 
offered, he would speedily settle the matter by helping himself. 
One day, when food was scarce and he had been fasting for 
many hours, I happened to pass by carrying a number of 
Starlings, one of which 1 tossed at him, but scarcely with the 
e’xpectation that it would be accepted. However, he caught it 
cleverly before it could reach the ground, and the next instant 
it disappeared down his capacious throat. Another followed, and 
was treated in the same way ; then more, until no less than 
five had been thus disposed of. This number seemed to satisfy 
him ; and the whole neck .being now enormously distended, it 
was with difficulty that he waddled away to his favourite 
corner of the coal-shed, where I left him sitting, face to the 
wall, upon a lump of eoal, the legs of the last Starling still 
projecting from the corner of his mouth. After this a bird 
was always a favourite morsel, and he would follow me for a 
long distance when I happened to be carrying a gun. Once 
I gave him, for a single meal, two Buntings, a Twite, a Sparrow, 
two Snow Buntings, and a Binged Plover, and even then he 
followed me for more. Birds, fish, and mice were always 
