F O W L. — F I S H. 131 



The manner of taking the wild ducks in this country is Wild Ducks, 



HOW TAKEN. 



lingular. The performers put their heads into the Ihells of large 

 gourds, with holes made in them to fee and breathe through ; 

 then going naked into the water, they walk or fwim fo low, 

 that nothing appears but the gourds. The ducks, being ac- 

 cuftomed to fee gourds floating on thefurface, and to play about 

 them, approach without fear ; when the duck-hunter, taking 

 them by the feet, pulls them under water to prevent their making 

 a noife, wrings their necks, and faftens them to his girdle, pur- 

 fuing his exercife till he has procured a great number. 



I MAY mention here that moft elegant of ducks, the Chinefe Chinese Teal. 

 Teal^^l but words are almoft wanting to exprefs the beauty of the 

 coloring, and the fpecific oddity of the fine feathers of the wings, 

 eredling themfelves in a curved manner when the wings are 

 clofed. Mr. Edwards's reprefentation t may ferve to give the 

 idea. Thefe are a fcarce fpecies, and kept for fale at Canton^ 

 and fold at the rate of fix or even ten dollars the pair. 



No country abounds with fiflies equal to China^ yet we have Fishes. 

 been very unfortunate by the inattention paid to that branch of 

 its natural hiftory. OJbeck and Spar^nan^ both boafted difciples 

 of Linnaus^ have given us but a very meagre catalogue. From 

 thefe, and a few other fources, I fhall give all that I can collect; 

 let me obferve that the moft numerous genera of frefh water 

 are the carp and the perch. Tiu Halde mentions fome curious 

 fpecies of fiflies, but his defcriptions want the perfpicuity of a 

 naturalift, fo are unintelligible. 



Du Halde ii. p. 316. gives us two very curious methods of 



* Latham, Ornith. Vol. iii. 548. t Tab. 102. 



S 2 filhing, 



