Page 128 - Chinese Porcelain Vol I, Galland

96 CHINESE PORCELAIN.

into a corner, and food and drink,
retiring altogether neglecting
as well as the care of her In this condition she was
person.
courted by a drake who had lost his mate, but who met with
no encouragement to his addresses from the widow. On the
stolen drake recovered and restored to the
being subsequently
the most demonstrations of were dis-
aviary, extravagant joy
played by the fond couple. But this was not all, for, as if
informed by his spouse of the gallant proposals made to her
before his arrival, the drake attacked the luckless bird
shortly
who would have supplanted him, beat out his eyes, and inflicted
so as to cause his death."
many injuries
"
Gutzlaff, vol. i. p. 36 : In the neighbourhood of rivers the
people keep boats expressly for the purpose of rearing ducks.
They have so well trained them, that they leave and return
upon a signal given with a pipe."
Pheasant.— Davis, vol. ii. 328 : " The ornithology of
p.
China is distinguished by some splendid varieties of galli-
naceous birds, as the and silver to which have
gold pheasants,
been The tail-
lately added the Reeves s pheasant. longest
feathers approach the extraordinary dimensions of six feet."
"
Middle Beale's
Kingdom," vol. i. p. 265, Mr. Thomas
"
Aviary : The collection at one time contained nearly thirty
" The
specimens of the different species of pheasants." P. 261 :
colours of the are
prevailing golden pheasant yellow and red,
with each other in different shades. The
finely blending
silver is than its rival, and more
pheasant larger stately
in its Its back and tail show the more
gait. silvery only
in contrast with the steel blue of the breast and
beautifully
"
belly (see No. 384).
The pheasant is an emblem of beauty ; it is sometimes used
in the of the or
place phoenix, fung-hivang.
—
Quail. Gutzlaff, vol. i. p. 37 : " Quails, which are to be
met with in in the north, are valued
great quantities greatly
by the Chinese on account of their fighting qualities. They
carry them about in a bag, which hangs from their girdle,
treat them with great care, and blow occasionally a reed to
rouse their fierceness. When the bird is duly washed, which
is done very carefully, they put him under a sieve with his
antagonist, strew a little Barbadoes millet on the ground, so
as to stimulate the envy of the two quails ; they very soon