wings, and then raising and closing them against each other above its
back."

On seeing this wonderful bird I could easily believe the accounts my
uncle gave me. I remembered, when on board the _Bussorah Merchant_,
seeing some tropic birds, which, like the frigate-bird, can ascend to a
vast height. One appeared out of the blue sky, when, descending
suddenly towards the ship like a falling star, it checked its course,
and hovering for a while over our masts, darted away with its two long
projecting tail-feathers streaming in the air towards a shoal of
flying-fish, which had just then risen from the water. It caught one,
and again ascended in the most graceful way towards the blue heavens, to
enjoy its repast.

The Chinese, my uncle told me, train the common cormorant to fish for
them, the birds being taught to return with their prey to the boat in
which their master sits, when they receive a small fish as their reward.
As, however, the bird might help itself, and refuse to work for an
employer, the cunning Chinese fastens a band round its throat
sufficiently tight to prevent it from swallowing the fish, but not to
impede its free action in other respects. The hungry bird, therefore,
very gladly returns to the boat to have this inconvenient appendage
removed, in order that it may enjoy its limited repast, considering that
"half a loaf is better than no bread." My uncle showed me on our return
a sketch, which will explain the mode of proceeding even better than my
verbal description.

We were still talking of these wonderful birds, when we came near where
we had placed our lobster-pots. They must have been on the edge of the
bank, for we found that two or three had been carried away into deep
water. However, we caught sight of their floats at some distance.
Having drawn up the first we put down, several of which had large
lobsters, or fish and crabs, with various other creatures in them, we
pulled away to recover the rest. Two were empty.

"I suppose it is scarcely worth while hauling up the other one," I
observed.

"We shall lose it if we do not, though there is no great chance of it
having anything within it," answered Roger Trew.

However, as we began to haul it up, we discovered by the feel that it
had something in it. As we got it up to the side, Roger Trew remarked
that it was after all only a squid, probably, or some nasty creature of
that sort.

"Haul it in! haul it in, and let me look at it!" ex