178 Naturalist at Large 



as conch, most delectable of all sea viands, unfortunately 

 unprocurable in New England. What a dramatic under- 

 water scene could be depicted with modern methods of 

 creating illusions! Mold a lovely Polynesian maiden vested 

 only with a net reticule of pearl shells tied to her waist 

 and struggling for release from the clutch of this giant mol- 

 lusk. I fear, however, such pageantry is beyond our means 

 — and might shock Salem, anyhow. 



It is probable that all of the various races of domestic 

 duck are derived from the wild mallard, and where man 

 first began to breed ducks for food is doubtful. It was 

 probably in China. Anyone who has traveled into the in- 

 terior of China, say up the Si-kiang River from Canton 

 to Wuchow, will recall the floating duck farms. These 

 great arks built on rafts move about from place to place, 

 a gangplank is let down, and the ducks scuttle overboard 

 and dip and dive and feed. At evening the proprietor of 

 the establishment stands by with a bamboo wand and beats 

 a gong and the ducks rush up the gangway, for they know 

 from bitter experience that the last few ducks will be 

 assiduously whacked with the bamboo just for being last. 



The people in Bali have had the duck for years. The 

 characteristic race is a white one with a large fluffy top- 

 knot, and the Balinese positively assure us that unless a 

 bunch of cotton wool on top of a twig is put before the 

 setting duck where she must observe it constantly, the 

 young will not be bedecked with the much admired 

 pompon of feathers on their heads. And though unques- 

 tionably man has played with the duck for a long time, no 

 such enormous variety of named races has been produced 



