314 CHINESE HUSBANDRY. 



ways employed in bringing up ducks, except 

 in the three cold months ; and though this 

 bufinefs requires a deal of attendance, you fel- 

 dom fee them employ any particular care, for 

 a,s foon as the young ducks are a fortnight 

 old, they are able to get their own fubfilt- 

 ence. 



The filk worms, which, confidering their ufe", 

 ought to have a place among the fmaller ani- 

 mals, mould, together with their management, 

 be defcribed : but as we find accounts of 

 them in other Swedijh writings, I pafs them 

 over, and (hall only mention that the Chinefe 

 eat the aurelias with great appetite, after their 

 filk has been wound off; and that they either 

 boil them frefh, or dry them; the catty cods 

 eight or nine kandarins. 



Up towards Chingchiu is faid to be a fpecies 

 of very large filkworms, from which fo coarfe 

 a filk is gathered, that at firfl it looks like 

 hemp ; the inhabitants however make a fort of 

 fluff of it, which when new looks like un- 

 bleached linen, but by ufe and frequent 

 warning acquires a glofs and better look. It 

 feems that this filk will not take a dye, for 

 i i;hey 



