Natchitoches populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1898-1899, 1899-01-13
HOW A CHINAMAN FISHES
Trains cormorants and Makes Suckers DO
II for Him.

speaking OF Tile udtuIdl LhotihIt
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 cor
morant is trained by Chinaman 10
catch fish. The coromant is very
intelligent bird and is easily domes-
ticated They readily lay when cap
tured and their eggs are hatched out
by chickens. When Chinese fisher
man has half a dozen or more of these
birds he begins while they are Still
young to teach them to obey his COM
mands and 10 come to him when they
are called. He next allows them their
freedom in, the water. ,fyhere theyI
soon develop their natural inclina-
ton to dive in search of fish. But rs
the birds invariably bolt the 'ish
which they catch, a metal ring Ia
fastened snugly around their necNs
and this prevents them swallowing.
"The fisherman takes his birds out
on raft to some favorable fishing
| ground and puts them overheard.
! They begin diving In turns for fish.
! AS soon as a fish is secured the cor
mOrant comes to the surface to swal-
low it. but is prevented from doing so
by the ring around its neck. The bird
Is them called to the float by the
/ fisherman, who robs it of its prey,
and then loosens the ring and re-
wards the bird with a small piece Of
3, fish. The fisherman refasteus the
ring about the neck of the cor
morant and the whole operation is
repeated again and again., until the
4 bird becomes tired of diving, when
i another cormorant is put overheard
Some of these cormorants are so per
fectly trained that they will catch
and deliver fish without being re.
strained by the ring, and I have seer
one bird. bring to the surface as many
as twenty fish, All of which weighed
from a quarter. to one and hall
pounds, -, -
"[The Chinese, who have successful
~ trained the cormorant and the otte
to fish for them, have also taken th'
remora in hand, with the happiest re
suits. Pr +'.'1ts q
Most voyagers in tropical seas ar
acquainted with this peculiar fish
which is known generally by, the tn
vial name of the sucker. The distiH
/ gushing characteristic Of this. fish
laziness Unwilling to exert itsel
, overmuch in the pursuit of food,
, has developed an arrangement on til
! back of it's head exactly like the col
rugated sole of a tennis shoe, and a
artificial in appearance as If mad
; and fitted by the hand of man.
: when the sucker finds itself in til
= vicinity of any large floating bod.
such as q ship, a shark. or a piece {
: fotsam, whose neighborhood seen
= to promise an abundance of food,
attaches itself firmly thereto /
= means of this curious contriyanc
: which permits it to eat, breathe, ar
: perform all necessary functions viii
:. being carried about without any e
- ertion on its part. 1t can attach al
y detach itself instantaneously, al
holds so firmly that a direct bac
ward pull cannot dislodge 1t witho
!, injury to the fish.
- Several good-sized specimens
tho fish having been caught, t
Il Chinese fisherman fits small ir
u rings to their tails. to which he ,
" taches long, slender but very sto
u lines. Thus equipped. the fisherm
~ sets out, and when basking tur
" is seen two or three of the suckt
y are put overheard. Should they tn
&c and stick to the bottom of the fish
81 raft. they are carefully detached
u being pushed forward with the
IS eyitable bamboo, and started on
ar search again. At last they alta
IT, themselves to the supine turtle. TT
X the fisherman hauls in the lin
IN against which gentle suasion
ne hapless chelon struggle in vain. Or
ne on board the raft the useful REM
'lo Is detached, and is at once ready
Die use again."
DIV -----
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