102 
CORMORANT. 
fish : after this, it made no further attempt for three days, appearing 
convinced there were none to he found. 
The dexterity with which this bird seizes its prey is incredible. 
Knowing its own powers, if a fish is thrown into the water at a dis- 
tance, it will dive immediately, pursuing its course under water, in a 
direct line to that spot, never failing to take the fish, and that fre- 
quently before it falls to the bottom. The quantity it will swallow 
at a meal is astonishing ; three or four pounds twice a day are readily 
devoured, the digestion being excessively rapid. If by accident a large 
fish sticks in the gullet, it has the power of inflating that part to its 
utmost, and while in that state, the head and neck are shaken violently, 
in order to promote its passage. This is a property we never observed 
in any other bird, but it is probably common to the rest of the tribe, or 
such as are destitute of nasal apertures. That all birds have a commu- 
nication between their lungs, and the cavity of their body surrounding 
the viscera, more or less, is well known ; but as there is no passage into 
the (Esophagus but by the mouth, to effect this inflation, a violent com- 
pression of the body becomes necessary at the same time the bill is 
closed, and the air is forced back into the mouth and pressed into the 
gullet. It is observable, that in the act of fishing, this bird always car- 
ries its head under water, in order that it may discover its prey at a 
greater distance, and with more certainty than could be effected by 
keeping its eyes above the surface, which is agitated by the air, and 
rendered unfit for visional purposes. If the fish is of the flat 
kind, it will turn it in the bill, so as to reverse its natural position, 
and by this means only could such be got within the bill : if it 
succeeds in capturing an eel, which is its favorite food, in an un- 
favorable position for gorging, it will throw the fish up to a distance, 
dexterously catching it in a more favorable one as it descends. In thus 
turning the fish, the delatable skin under the bill is of great use, but is 
by no means deserving of the appellation of a pouch, not being capable 
of more distension than any other part of the (Esophagus ; nor can it 
be used as a reservoir for provisions, either for its own use, or for the 
use of its young, as asserted by some authors. Another action which 
seems peculiar to this bird and its congeners, is violently beating the 
waters with its wings, without moving from the spot, followed by a 
shake of the whole body, ruffling all its feathers, at the same time 
covering itself with water. This singular action it will repeat twenty 
times, with small intervals of rest, when it will retire to an elevated 
place on shore, and spread or flap its wings till they are dry. It lives 
in perfect harmony with the wild swan, goose, various sort of ducks, 
and other birds, but to a gull with a piece of fish it will instantly give 
