Colonel Montagu, in the Supplement to his Ornitholo. • gical Dictionary. has communicated various interesting notices of a corvorant that was accidentally captured by a Newfoundland dog, and which became at once quite tame.
C. graculus, Meyer, Tern. Pelecanus graculus, Lin. &c. Shag, or Green Corvorant. In the north of England Crave, and in Orkney Scarf. Bill one inch and ten lines longer than the head; tail very long, graduated, conical, composed of twelve feathers. The largest of the species measures about two feet six inches in length, three feet eight inches in extent of wing, and weighs nearly four pounds. The shag is very abundant in the regicns of the arctic and antarctic circles, and is a bird of passage in the eastern countries of Europe. It has m'Z..ch the appearance and manners of the preceding, although the two species are not observed to consort. But they are alike greedy and voracious, and after having overgorged themselves, they are Often found on shore in a drowsy or stupid state ; but when the torpor is over, they appear again on the wa ter, where they are extremely alert, and not easily shot, as they dive the moment that they perceive the flash of a gun, and take care afterwards to keep out of its reach. In swimming, they carry their head very erect, while the body seems nearly submerged. From the circumstance of their feathers being not quite impervious to water, they do not remain on that element very long at a time, but are frequently seen flying about, or sitting on the shore, flapping the moisture from their wings, or keeping them for some time expanded to dry in the sun and the wind.
They nestle in the cliffs of rocks, or in trees. the female laying two or three whitish eggs, much elongated, and of nearly equal dimensions at both ends. Notwithstanding the strong and offensive smell emitted by shags and cor vorants, examples are not wanting of their having been eaten by people in this country ; but before cooking, they should be skinned and drawn, then wrapt up in a clean cloth, and buried for some time in the earth. The crop is often infested with a species of ascaris.
C. Sinensis, Chinese or Fishing Corvorant. Tail round ed; body brown above, whitish and spotted with brown be neath; throat white, irides blue ; bill yellow. This is the Leut.::e of the Chinese, who instruct it in the art of sup plying its owner with fish. On a large lake, Sir George Staunton and his party saw thousands of small boats and rafts, on each of which were ten or a dozen of these birds, which, at a signal from the owner, plunged into the wa ter, and returned with fish of a large size. They appear ed to be so well trained, that it did not require either ring or cord about their throats to prevent them from swallow ing any portion of their prey, except what the master was pleased to return to them for encouragement and food.