DUCK. 291 



follow their leader to their respective sampanes, without a stranger 

 being found among them. This is still more extraordinary, if we 

 consider the number of inhabited sampanes* on the River Tigris, 

 supposed to be no less than 40,000, which are moored in rows close 

 to each other with a narrow passage for boats to pass up and down 

 the river. The Tigris, at Canton, is somewhat wider than the 

 Thames, at London, and the whole river is there covered in this 

 manner for at least a mile. 



In India, about Cochin, the bird is called Tarava/f and when 

 first caught is almost unfit for food, living chiefly on pilchards; 

 therefore on board a ship, the Ducks are kept for a long time on 

 different food before they are killed. An immense trade is carried 

 on with them in the maritime towns of India, giving employment 

 in particular to the Christians, Mahometans, and black Jews. — 

 Osbeck mentions two sorts of Ducks, one called Hina-a ; the other, 

 Kongo-a. He had not seen the latter, but says, that certain Wild 

 Ducks were in such plenty as to greatly disturb the fishermen, by 

 taking the fish out of their nets.J 



The windpipe of the male bird differs from that of the female, 

 by having a globular or labyrinthic cavity about three quarters of an 

 inch in diameter, just before the entrance into the lungs; indepen- 

 dent of this, the windpipe is nearly of the same diameter the whole 

 of its length. 



* This is a common name for a boat; those inhabited contain each a separate family, 

 of which it is the only dwelling; and very many of the Chinese pass almost the whole of 

 their lives on the water. 



f Bartolom. Voy. to the East Indies, 8vo. Engl. ed. 



J We were (says he) astonished to see theChinese, who had put their nets into the water, 

 shoot constantly without aim ; but found, the3' were forced to watch their fisheries, and to 

 frighten away the Ducks, as they would else empty the nets sooner than the men could ; 

 never were such fearless, and numerous flights of Ducks as here, one flight after another 

 came, notwithstanding the noise made on all sides, and endeavoured to settle near the nets ; 

 but were always hindered in the above manner.— Osb. Voy. ii. p. 33. Whether these were 

 the Sampane Ducks, is not said ; but he precisely determines them not to be the same 

 with ours. 



P p2 



