Ill] OF DUCKS 311 



aquatic animals of the same kind. Abundance of 

 water must flow into the ponds in the enclosure so 

 4 that it may be always fresh. There are also other 

 species not unlike ducks, such as teal and moor-hens 

 and partridges/ which, as Archelaus writes, conceive 

 on hearing the voice of the male bird. These, though 

 they are not fattened as are ducks and geese because 

 of their fertility or good flavour, do yet become fat 

 if fed in the same way. This is what I have to say 

 about what in my opinion belongs to the first act of 

 farm-yard feeding. 



autem tihi si sitfacultas^ datur cammarus et rivalis alecula^ vel 

 si qua sunt incrementi parvi Jiuviorum animalia. Plutarch 

 (Quaest. Nat., towards the end) says that river crabs are 

 good for sows suffering from headache! ai U Siiq kiri roXg 

 iroTafiioic KopKivoig (ftepovraif jioijOovvTai yap ItjOiovaai Trpbg K6<pa\a\~ 

 yiav. 



The Geoponica (xiv, 23) mention as food for ducks : * * Wheat, 

 millet, barley, grape refuse, and occasionally locusts or prawns 

 or any other similar animals, found in lakes or rivers, which 

 they are accustomed to eat." 



• Perdices. In Martial's delightful description of a Roman 

 farm (iii, 58) occur nearly all the birds mentioned by Varro : 



Vagaiur omnis iurba sordidae chortis 



Argutus anser £emmetgue pavones 

 Nomenque debet quae rubentibus pinnis (the flamingo) 



El picta perdix Numidicaeque,^//a/lfl^ 

 Et impiorum phasiana Colchorum 



Rhodias superbi feminas premunt galli 

 Sonantque turres plausibus columbarum 

 Gemit hinc palumbus, inde cereus turtur, etc. 



The perdix in the text is probably the red-legged partridge — 

 the picta perdix of Martial. 



