If the coulterneb is, however, a robber of rabbit-burrows, it is too formidably armed to allow of retaliation with impunity, and few birds or beasts dare venture to attack it in its retreat. Sometimes, however, as Jacobson tells us, “the raven makes bold to offer battle; but as soon as he approaches, the coulterneb catches him under the throat with her beak, and sticks her claws into his breast till he screams out with pain and tries to get away; but the coulterneb keeps fast hold of him and tumbles him about till both frequently fall into the sea, where the raven is drowned, and the coulterneb returns in triumph to her nest. But should the raven, at the first onset, get hold of the coulterneb’s neck, he generally comes off victorious, kills the mother, and feasts on her eggs or her young.” On St. Margaret’s Island, near St. David’s, we have seen the fishermen draw them out of their holes in a singular manner; by introducing the hand into the hole, which is seized by the bird, who suffers himself to be drawn out rather than loose his hold. In other places they are caught by ferrets, and the young are pickled.
About the latter end of August they retire from our coast, and have all completely migrated by the beginning of September, together with the razor-bills and guillemots.
The egg is white, but is occasionally found obscurely speckled with cinereous, about the size of a hen’s; their principal food is small fish, particularly sprats, with which they feed their young. It is not known to what parts they retire when they leave our coast, but they have been found in abundance in various parts of the southern and northern hemisphere.—Montagu.
Counter, s. A false piece of money used as a means of reckoning.
Counter, ad. Contrary to, in opposition to; the wrong way; contrary ways.
Couple, s. A chain or tie that holds dogs together; two, a brace; a male and his female.
Couple, v. To chain together; to join to one another; to join embraces.
Course, s. Race, career; track or line in which a ship sails; a tract of ground set apart for horse-racing.
The following are the abbreviations used in designating the different courses at Newmarket, with their respective measurements; as also, other abbreviations used, in describing races, throughout the united kingdom.
| M. | F. | Y. | ||
| B. C. | The Beacon course | 4 | 1 | 138 |
| L. T. M. | Last three miles of do. | 3 | 0 | 45 |
| D. I. | From the ditch in | 2 | 0 | 97 |
| T. L. I. | From the turn of the lands in | 0 | 5 | 184 |
| C. C. | Clermont Course | 1 | 5 | 217 |
| A. F. | Across the flat | 1 | 1 | 44 |
| T. Y. C. | Two-year-old course | 0 | 5 | 136 |
| Y. C. | Yearling course | 0 | 2 | 147 |
| R. C. | Round course | 3 | 6 | 93 |
| D. M. | Ditch mile | 0 | 7 | 184 |
| A. M. | Abingdon mile | 0 | 7 | 211 |
| R. M. | Rowley mile | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| T. M. M. | Two middle miles of B. C. | 1 | 7 | 115 |
| D. C. | Duke’s course. | |||
| F. C. | Fox’s course. | |||
| An. M. | Ancaster mile. | |||
| B. M. | Bunbury’s mile. | |||
| C. S. C. | Craven stakes course. | |||
| M. D. | Mile and distance B. C. |