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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread cormorants #38277 08/10/2001 7:24 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 Today's word suggests a couple of bits of trivia. I remember a long time ago reading about Oriental fishermen using cormorants to catch fish, with rings around their necks to keep them from swallowing the fish. A few months ago there was a story on CNN about the catfish farms in Louisiana and Mississippi having cormorants take as much as three thousand dollars worth per night of the catfish. Because the cormorants were regarded as an endangerd species, shooting them was illegal until just recently. Then I saw another story about a robot with a red laser that was said to be effective in driving the cormorants away. The story did not say if the robot was on land or in the water. And I wonder how long it will be before the cormorants learn that the robot cannot harm them. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: cormorants #38278 08/11/2001 12:35 AM Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 2,605 Keiva Carpal Tunnel Keiva Carpal Tunnel Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 2,605 This was in a poetry anthology I had as a child: The common cormorant, or shag, Lays eggs inside a paper bag. The reason, you will see no doubt, It is to keep the lightning out. But what the unobservant birds Have never noticed is that herds Of wandering bears may come with buns, And steal the bags to hold the crumbs. The anthologist, Louis Untermeyer, was apparently ignorant of the word "cormorant", and so introduced the poem by explaining that a cormorant was a fantasy bird invented by the poet. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: cormorants #38279 08/23/2001 3:10 AM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 157 francais31415 member francais31415 member Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 157 Reminds me of the child's book, The Story About Ping (great book!). Side note: Computer gurus, look up this book on Amazon.com and check out the reviews. When I looked, the one I am referring to was the second one down, under "Spotlight Reviews." Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: cormorants #38280 08/24/2001 12:25 PM Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12 Vienna, Austria Cameron stranger Cameron stranger Joined: Aug 2001 Posts: 12 Vienna, Austria [quote] Reminds me of the child's book, The Story About Ping (great book!). quote] A classic! Can't think how many times I've read it out loud, first to younger siblings, then to nieces and nephews. I never memorized it, though of course the kids did, and would immediately spot any improvising or mistakes. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: cormorants #38281 08/26/2001 1:05 AM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 157 francais31415 member francais31415 member Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 157 Yeah, I used to read it all the time as a little kid. It's one of those that will surely bring up intense nostalgia when I see it again. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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