The morning news., 1894-11-09
THE CORMORANT At WORK.
Ways Of the Birds Trained by the
Chinese to Catch Fish.

!
ter'r Signals and Obey Them - Ca
ressed When They Get Fish and
Beaten if They Fail.
From the New York sun
81 spent four years in China" said
Electrical Engineer Charles Dean. "and
while saw more curious and surprising
things there than I could tell about If I
| talked a month, nothing amused me so
much as the fishing cormorants at their
! work. The first time I saw cormorant
| fishing 1 was walking along the River
! Min. BY and by came to a bamboo
| float or raft, moored to the pier of a
bridge. Chinaman was squatting on
the raft. and some birds I took at first to
be ducks were grouped at one end of it.
They were all faced toward the squatting
Chinaman, who was gazing steadily at
! them, his hands on his knees.
Suddenly the Chinaman extended his
right hand, palm upward, toward one of
the BIRDS which I had by this time dis
covered were not ducks. This particular
bird came briskly toward the Chinaman.
and climbed upon his open palm. The
/ man SliOhtu HIS ANaAAiCAo AOAAulyS AhDbSN
his cheek along it's neck and talked to it
in Chinese, evidently in terms of endear-
ment. The bird seemed delighted with
this treatment. It laid its head on the
| Chinaman's arm, stroked his face with is
| queer-looking bill, and returned all his
caresses. This mutual fondling continued
for perhaps a minute. Then the China
man moved with the bird to the further
side of the float. and placed it on the edge.
! Then for the first 1 realized what was go
ing on. Here was a Chinese fisherman
and his invaluable aids, the cormorants.
when this cormorant was placed on
the edge of the float it dipped its bill into
the water, snapped it loudly, looked up
and down the side of the raft turned it's
head, fixed it's glitering black eyes an in
stant on its master, and then slid from
the float down into the water, without
| leaving as much as ripple where it dis
! appeared. The Chinaman sat down and
| awaited the reappearance of the bird
| without any apparent concern or inn
| patience. The other birds remained
standing at their end of the raft, almost
| motionless, and ever with their shining
eyes fixed on the fisherman. The cormor-
ant that had dived into the water re-
mained under for nearly half a minute.
! Then it came up with pop that threw 1t
almost clear of the water. The tail and
half the body of fish protruded from It's
! bill. The bird swan straight for the raft,
| climbed upon it, jumped upon it's masters
knee, and held its head up for him to re-
move the fish, With. one hand the China
man drew the fish from the cormorant's
mouth, and with the other stroked its
| neck and plumage, and with his mouth
close to it's head murmured what were un-
4 .NaI1w 1eT rF II
/ The cormorant shook out its feathers and
in various ways showed its delight
After a few minutes the Chinaman
again placed the bird on the edge of the
float, and once more it glided noislessly
into the stream The other birds main
taiued their stolidity, to all appearance
utterly unconscious of everything ex-
cept the presence of their master. The
busy cormorant reappeared In a short
| time, having again made a successful
! dive Another caressing scene between
it and the Chinaman followed, and third
time the bird returned to the water 1t
now seemed to be thoroughly warmed
up to its work, and went at 1t with an avid
| ity that showed plainly the great pleasure
! the bird took in the chase. The third
! dive kept the cormorant under water
| longer than the others, and when 1t came
up it had no fish. The change in its
actions was striking. 1t swan frantic
ally about in the water, twisting and turn
/ ing, and manfesting the greatest distress;
| but, turn whichever way 1T might ii
| kept it's glittering eyes fixed on it's mas
ter, and, it seemed to me, with an appeal
/ ing expression in them.
The bird made no move to approach the
raft. and when the Chinaman raised his
/ hand and pointed downward with his
/ forehnger, the eager bird dived again,
| and so quickly that II was out of sight
| like a flash. 1t was beneath the surtace
no longer than ten seconds. This time it
| came up with large fish in its mouth
| and swan boldly toward the raft De-
| posting it's prize al its masters feet the
| bird showed plainly by it's actions as
the Chinaman stroked its feathers, that
| 1t had redeemed itself and held its mas
ter's favor. And / soon learned that IL
/ was pleasanter for cormorant to gain
! his masters favor than his displeasure.
when the Chinaman had placed the
/ third fish in his basket he took the cor
! morant and stood it in the center Of the
! raft. This meant, as l saw by the birds
/ action, that the cormorant had done salts
! factory work and was entitled to a rest.
/ The bird strutted proudly, but by no
! means gracefully, to the end of the raft,
| opposite where its companions stood
/ and took its place there. When this was
/ done great change came over the rest
/ OF the cormorants. Each one straightened
| itself up to it's full hight arched it's neck
/ shook out its feathers and qulvered with
| expectancy. The Chinaman squattedn
| front Of them, as he was squatting when
/ ] first saw him, eyed them quizzcaliy for
a moment. and then held out his hand
/ TO tho largest of the group. This one
/ climbed upon his hand. Instantly the
/ others became listless and indifferent
| again. The Chinaman. caressed the bird
/ as he had the first one but II did not show
/ any reciprocatlng affection. II seemed
/ sullen obstinate and out Of sorts. And It's
| subsequent actions proved that Il was
/ It's master placed IL on the edge Of the raft.
/ II didn't look at him like the other one,
but pumped into the water instantly with
| a splash and disappeared. II was hardly
beneath the water, though, before Il came
| up. and without fish IT swan about
I like the first cormorant, but showed no
I sign OF distress or disappointment over
I It's failure 10 make o catch. and Il is
doubtful, indeed. II the bird made nny
I attempt 20 capture a 0Fh. n kept itg
/ eyes on ita master though, and whom hc
angrlly gave a. the signal 20 dive aRaiu