CHINA. 1751, 33 



covered with Cbinefe (as an ant-hill is with 

 ants) from the top to the bottom. At the 

 fummit was a little redoubt, and paved roads 

 led towards the more. On the fields where 

 rice had been growing, fome fhallow furrows 

 were made to keep the fifhes back in them 

 when the water ran off. I would have landed 

 with the floop, but it was out of my power. 

 One might have made a pretty collection of 

 foilils here. We were altonimed to fee that 

 the Cbinefe, who had put their nets into the 

 water, (hot continually without aiming at any- 

 thing : but upon enquiry we were told that 

 they were forced to watch their fifheries con- 

 tinually, and to frighten away the ducks, who 

 would elfe empty the nets fooner than men 

 could. I never faw fuch fearlefs and nume- 

 rous flights of ducks as here : one flight after 

 another came, notwithstanding the noife that 

 was made on all fides, and endeavoured to 

 fettle near the nets ; but were always hinder- 

 ed in the above manner: thefe wild ducks 

 were not quite like ours, as will appear from 

 the following defcription : 



Anas (Chinenjis) reglone ocuhrum marls -vU 

 ridi. The male: the wings have about twen- 

 ty-eight quill-feathers, of which the firft ten 



Vol. II. D are 



