Evening star., 1898-09-10
HOW THE CHiNAMAN FISHES.
He Trains ,Cormorants and Makes
Suckers Do 1t for Him.

Speaking OF the natural instinct and
extent to which the faculties of birds may
be developed, >, said an old bird trainer to
the writer recently, perhaps one of the
most Interesting examples of this Is the
way the cormorant is trained by the China
man to catch fish The cormorant is
very intelligent bird and is easily domestic
Gated. They readily lay when captured and
their eggs are hatched out by chickens
When Chinese fisherman has half A dozen
or more of these birds he begins while tbay
are stiii young to teach them to obey his
commands, and to come to him when thew
are called. He next allows them their free
dom in the water where they soon develop
their natural inclination to dive in search of
hsn. But as the birds Invariably bolt the
hSh which they catch, metal ring is fas-
tened snuSly around their necks and this
prevents them swallowing.
The fisherman takes his birds out on a
raft to some favorable fishing ground and
turns for fish. As soon as a fish is secured
the cormorant comes to the surface to
swallow 1t, but is prevented from doing so
by the ring around its neck. The bird is
then called to the float by the fisherman
who robS 1t of its prey, and then loosens the
ring and rewards the Lird with a small
p:ece of fish. The fisherman refastens the
ring about the neck of the cormorant and
again, until the bird becomes tired of div
ing, when another cormorant Is put over
board. Some OF these cormorants are so
perfectly trained that they will catch and
deliver flsh without being restrained by the
ring, and l have seen one bird bring to tha
surface as many as twenty FISH all of
which weighed fl ON quarter to one and a
half pounds
The Chinese, who have successfully
trained the cornlorant and the otter to fish
t.fl.e
IN hand, with the happiest results,
Most Voyagers in tropical seas are ac
quainted with this peculiar fish which is
known generally by the trivial name of the
sucker The distinguishing characteristic
of this fish Is laziness. Unwilling to eyert
Itself overmuch in the pursuit of food, If
has developed an arrangement on the back
of its head exactly like the corrugated sole
o. tennis shoe, and as artificial in appear
ance as If made and fitted by the hand of
man.
When the sucker finds itself in the vi
cinity of any large floating body, such as a
ship. shark, or a piece of iotsam, whose
nelghborhood seems to promise an abund-
ance of food 1t attaches itself firmly there
to by means of this curious contrivance
which permits 1t to eat, breathe and per-
form all necessary functions while being
carried about without any exertion on its
part. 1t can attach and detach itself in
Simultaneously, apd holds So firmly that a
direct backward pull cannot dislodge it
without injury to the fish
Several good=sized, specimens of the fish
having been caught the Chinese fisherman
fits small iron rings to their tails to which
he attachesi long, slender, but very stout
lines. Thus eqaipred the fisherman sets out,
and when a baslsing turtle is seen two or
three of the suckers are put overheard.
Should they turn and stick to the bottom
Of the fishing raft they are carefully de-
tached by being pushed forward with the
inevitable bambno. and started on the
search agat. At last they attach them
selves to the supine turtle. Then the
gentle suasfon the hapless Chelon strug-
giles in vain, Once on board the raft the
useful reneora issdetached, and is at once
ready for use again"