CHINESE FISHING BIRDS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1264, 28 December 1882, Page 2

CHINESE FISHING BIRDS.

> i ■Our '"youthful seeker after knowledge came to ma a few days since with the roquest that I would tell him abeut the Chinese fishing-birds,. He had been read.. inp; of tnem ( ':but' ooulc] ndt quite'utider-i standr jl explained it to him j'and.-whetf ;I Had done, the thought struck me that jt r fwould not he outVf plaee't'o"fell"tlie"'Btofy r 'to" oiiii'army of youthful readers. And herejitis I . . From} .time immemorial the Chinese havered these birds for catohers (if Tsaug Joii-Tsi, our Drangoman'at Canton' assured me that the first pair of the Looua were rsent down from Heaven by the Great Chang-ti, to a good chief, when the natiptfwasin infancy,! QJheae-birds are) .trained, to! the work; and'nd hunting dog' —no animal trained to the pursuit of game ,in, jifa'ii's behalf,—evef evinced more (taotwsagacjty in .pursuing and capturing 'its; prey, tliari do 'these'birds;' They are' ua; they are ahdnt-.the-sisjejof* alarge'duck'; their plumage is a bright grayi--though sometimes the color is dull and uncertain; webbed feet; and armed with a bill peculiarly adapted to the purpose forwhioh'they are used. : It is! long and slendor; sharp at the point; .the upper bill! bent do wn over the under like, a hook, i The.ease with which they'dive' and swim junder water is remarkable, as it the length of time during which they can remain submerged. v ,'Nb'np.pf ouraquatio birds; that prey oh fish can equal them in this latter'reßpeqt. But, after;all is said,"the'mosl' wonderful thing about these birds is their dooility, and; the seeming eagerness with : wbioh they set to work for their masters. ; ( You have seen 'the eager hound, when set upon the track of the fox or, other game; at the beck of bis master ho is away, with.every nerve and musole'strained to' th ! o accom-* jpliahment of his purpose fahd with i these . Looua .>.jt They/jujt: only ■ 'clearly undei'stand 'the want of the master •but'aß'Clearly do they bend every; energy" to the work of adcqn}pl^BhlpQ^.^e^^rp / 9Be l ;wheretp;thef:are'senV':''? v,'' M '-' biT< ■^Thei numberof -birds taken.out portioned to the the fishing ground has been'' reached, thej fishkraan prepaVesbia birds, an(i gives the ligrjal'ofjwork; and the moment thebirds hear it?; thjßy; plunge waterand teek: their Ihe)blr3-i comes' to the ; itirfadß;;; If' ;He close to biV'b¥t'W'paddlei: hV.way to,th» tide and giv« uphis-loid f d d ive« again; but if h« finola hiriiielUt •a i dfiiaii w fiellwips; "fr^!<thlß^a^Vri<i' I lnVin : company,'and you iball never find one of thete birds mikingfa mistake;;. No matter

where he may rise—at what point he may i eome to the surface with hu prey-ha will be sure to fly directly to his own' -'"*• boat. At times the fisherman will hit' , upon a spot where the fish are plenty—probably in schools, like our mackerel—on which occasions the birds will fill their master's boat in an incredibly short space " of time, r times yon wil| observe two birds carrying " n one liah through the ftir. This hippos I when Que of them has captured i fish too »dJ heavy for him to "carry alone.r M 4t'agrcßß?HM signal from a birj'thns'situated'the bird V .nearest to him, without fail :the' 'oajl; by■ comih^it?fa6ce ! ' l to bis^uaiij»■ 4W :^ci^then ; pw takesthe head of the "sod the biHir the tail, and lliey -rrjhei helper ; ,.: : r :■■'}:■■' ' ! ;Veryf ■ ; /U ; deyouV roncjh' itiiifedSereUheynot -prevented j and- this v, is done by fixing a ring;arpund,the neckj- ■•■:;: : Bt;clple : enbiugh; to wHli '^ 3i 'natur'BTbroathing;; : but in such a manner ( that they caßnot.swallqwyamorsel oktlie^,, mthey WhMured; Mi!l J,L