THE SAVAGE WORLD. 
401 
duck-goose (Vulpanser taaorna). 
CORMORANT. 
the North temperate. He spends nearly all his time in the water, is an expert 
swimmer and a wonderful diver, being able to shoot along under the surface 
with the rapidity of a fish, upon which it feeds. The coloring of the male is 
a blood-red bill, raven-black head, snowy-white breast, and black-and-dun back 
and tail-feathers. It nests along the shore usually, and lays from ten to four¬ 
teen oblong eggs of a light-green color. The young take to water within an 
hour after birth, and are so active that they 
rarely suffer capture by even wild animals that 
prey upon ducks. 
The Cormo¬ 
rant ( Phalocro - 
corax carbo ), like 
the goose-anger, is 
an excellent swim¬ 
mer and diver, 
both pursuing 
similar habits in 
procuring their 
food. The goose- 
anger, however, 
lives chiefly off 
small fishes while 
the cormora7it is 
only content with larger prey. I have frequently watched them, while fishing, 
and noted with what dexterity they would dive and seize a fish of four and five 
pounds weight, which they would swallow with surprising _ ease. A more amus¬ 
ing sight is offered by several cormorants making a raid on eel-beds, either 
when the eels are burrowing in the mud, 
or ascending streams to breed. It is a 
most laughable spectacle to see the birds 
swallow their wriggling, slimy prey, only 
to have the eel rise again, and be again 
and again swallowed, until exhaustion 
prevents the creature from making further 
effort to escape. 
The cormorant is such a skilful fisher 
that it is commonly tamed by the Chinese, 
and trained to go out with their masters, 
sitting patiently upon the prow of a boat 
until given the order to begin the chase. 
At the word of command, they dash into 
the water, seize the fish in their beaks, 
GOOSE SAWYER. , J ’ ^ . -y 
and return with it to their owners. In 
beginning to train it an iron ring is put on the bird’s neck, which 
prevents it from swallowing the fish taken, and this is not removed until 
the cormorant fairly forgets that it has the ability to seize and swallow its 
live prey. After the birds are thoroughly trained, when one of them captures 
a fish which is too large for it to subdue, one of its companions will come 
to its assistance, and together they will convey the prize to their master. 
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