strongly attached to the gentleman who took the pains to tame him, that he grew quite troublesome by entering the house every time the door was left open. The historian tells us that in olden times cormorants were trained to fish for their owners, as hawks were educated for a dif ferent sport. One writer mentions a man of the name of Wood, who, he informs us, was "Master of the Cormorants to Charles I." They were prevented from swallowing the fish they caught, by a leather strap fastened round the lower part of their necks. This practice is said still to prevail in China, and many fishermen make a comfortable livelihood by the exertions of their birds. The cormorant is so highly trained, that upon the Chinaman's striking the water with an oar he instantly leaves his usual perch on the bow of the boat and dives down for a fish, almost imme diately returning with one in his bill. A strap buckled beneath his throat prevents him from swallowing it; and each time the fish is taken from him the industrious bird returns to his work, and fishes till his owner is satisfied with the quantity caught. The thong is then unbuckled from his neck, and the cormorant permitted to fish for his own eating. Cormorants digest their food very quickly, and therefore require a large supply of it. During a long season of stormy weather, these birds suffer greatly from hunger. When the waves are rolling mountains high, their keen eyes are unable to detect the prey on which they exist. Often on the western coast of Scotland they fall upon very hard times; and flocking together in the clefts of sheltering rocks, many of them soon die of starvation. These birds build their nests high upon the shelves of rugged rocks, where foot of man has seldom or never trod. These nests are composed of dry sea-weed, grasses, and sticks; and usually contain four eggs of a greenish white colour. The voice of the cormorant is a hollow croak, just as disagreeable as the bird's general appearance. Still, let us never be tempted to exclaim: "Of what possible use are these unpleasant birds in this world of ours!" Our Creator pronounced every living creature "good," and formed even the meanest to be of some service in its day and generation. He made nothing to be useless; and depend upon it, even the cormorant performs some work for the welfare of the world which would not be so well done without him. Rest assured, God has assigned to this hungry bird the very place in creation which only a cormorant can fill. THE SHAG. (Carbo cristatus.) 'Plumage all of satin sheen, DELIGHTFUL morning! Blue, cloudless skies overhead, and ten thousand sunny lights dancing on the little waves that break in soft music on the pebbly strand! How refreshing to bid farewell for a while to the din and bustle of a crowded city, and rest at the base of these towering rocks, listening only to the sweet and soothing sound of Nature's voices. I wonder what is the name of that dark-green bird, sitting, as if nearly asleep, on the edge of the shelf half-way down the cliff. It is not a cormorant, for it has a more elegant crest, and its head, neck, and back shine in the sun like satin. See! it wakes, and spreads its glossy green wings for flight, and its under parts look soft and smooth, as dark-green velvet or satin. Where is the bird going? Perhaps to take a dip in the sea! Yes; it dives, and comes up again with a large fish in its long bill. it, and settles on a It flies ashore with crag not far away. How it strains and fish; surely it will But while I doubt, Had I not seen this Why, it is the Shag, or Green Cormorant, as some people call it. gulps to swallow that never manage to do it! the bird has done it. myself, I could not have believed its throat was large enough for the fish to go down it. What will not a great effort accomplish! |