Annual Report

THE TWENTY-FIFTH

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE

ROYAL CORNWALL

m POLYTECHNIC SOCIETY. 1857.

FALMOUTH : SOLD BY R. LAKE, MARKET-STRAND. SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL, STATIONERS' HALL COURT, AND J. WEALE, HIGH HOLBORN, LONDON.

Price Two Shillings.

; / F. T. VIBERT, PRINTER. PENZANCE-C.

Contributions to the Falmouth Fauna, 1857. Geese, Duchs, $c., in Falmouth and neighbourhood. By W. P. COCKS, Esq.

" On the fourth day : God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."—Genesis. " A new system of exterior figure, and a new species of beauty, in the three main sources of the Beautiful in material things, and to the surveying eye— form, motion, and color—arose to visible existence in the Feathered creation." Turner. " Swift birds that skim o'er the stormy deep, Who steadily onward your journey keep, Who neither for rest nor slumber stay, But press still forward by night and day— And in your unwearying course yet fly Beneath the clear and the clouded sky, Oh ! may we, without delay, like you, The path of duty and right pursue." C. W. Tompson. " Wisdom is the presiding attribute of the Divine Architect, and knowledge is the wisdom of man. " ' Knowledge,' Lord Bacon has told us, ' is Power,' which is another of the prime attributes of the Divinity—and the stupendous achievements of know ledge and power, since the time of Bacon, have made absolute the truth of an aphorism which has been repeated to satiety. " But there is yet a third superlatively Divine attribute, of infinitely more importance to the progress and well-being of man than either knowledge or power, and that is Goodness or well-doing ; and there remains only for human attainment, the fact, that true knowledge and power are coincident with goodness, to accomplish the original title of man to the resemblance of his Maker."—Field. " Swallow then down, 0 my soul, understanding, and devour wisdom."— Esdras, viii., 4. H

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77 Fuligula rufina, Stepp. This rare bird was shot at Swanpool, February, 1864. ferina, Stepp. Not common. nyroca, Stepp. This bird was purchased by a clergyman in the neighbourhood, from Mrs. Dunning, game-dealer, Highstreet : locality doubtful. marila, Selby. Bill dark lead-colour, with a dirty-looking white line encircling the base ; nail black : head and neck blackish brown, the lower parts of the neck and breast darker : belly and vent white : irides yellowish green : legs and toes lead-grey, membranes darker. This (an old female) bird was shot at St. Keverne, January 19th, 1850. cristata, Stepp. Scarce. Male and female purchased in the market in the month of February, 1855, and mounted by Mr. Chapman, for A. L. Fox, Esq. Clangula. Bill short and narrow, elevated at the base, outline narrowing to the tip ; lamellae dentated, concealed : nostrils roundish-oval, lateral : tail of moderate length, graduated ; feathers semi-acute. vulgaris, Flem. Shot at Swanpool : scarce. Mr. W. K. Bullmore purchased a female from Mr. Jones, game-dealer, High-street, in December, 1655.

DOMESTIC DUCK. This is an interesting and valuable bird, and an important object in rural economy : it is more intelligent than most races of ornamental poultry; and from their habits of feeding, are much less destructive. " The duck," says Doyle, " is peculiarly the poor man's poultry ; its hardihood renders it so entirely independent of that care which fowls perpetually require, and indeed, of all those classes of persons in humble life, who have sloppy offal of some sort left from their meals, and who do not keep a pig to consume it, ducks are the best save-waste for them ; even the refuse of potatoes, or any other vegetables, will> with a little pollards,

78 satisfy a duck, who thankfully accepts, and with a degree of good nature which it is pleasant to contemplate, swallows what ever is presented to it, and very rarely occasions trouble." Mr. Middleton, a writer on agriculture, strongly recommends keeping a quantity of ducks on a farm, where they will be found serviceable by destroying worms, slugs, caterpillars, and other insects, which often injure the agriculturist. He says, " it is thought that many a farmer receives more damage to a crop of corn in one season, than would support a sufficient number of ducks, to give security for twenty years." The domestic drake does not pair, but takes under his pro tection four or five females. The female lays from twelve to twenty eggs in the season. Mr. Morrel of Belper Dally, had a duck which laid an egg daily for eighty-five successive days, and one hundred and twenty in the course of the year. They take from twenty-eight to thirty days in hatching. "The Chinese hatch ducks' eggs, like those of hens, by artificial heat."—Philosp. Trans. The egg of the duck has a rich flavour, which renders it much in request with the pastry-cook and confectioner : three duck's eggs being equal in culinary value to six hen's eggs. Eggs are a nutritious food, wholesome in every way, except when boiled too hard. The lightest, as well as the simplest mode of preparing them, is to boil them only as long as is necessary to coagulate slightly the greater part of the white, without depriving the yolk of its fluidity. " Orpheus, Pythagoras, and their sectators, unceasingly re commended in their discourses to abstain from eggs, in order not to destroy a germ which nature had destined for the pro duction of chicken. Many allowed themselves to be persuaded, and would have believed it an unpardonable crime if they had eaten a tiny omelette, or boiled eggs. Many of the most learned philosophers held eggs in a kind of respect approaching to veneration, because they saw in them the emblem of the world and the four elements. The shell, they said, represented the earth ;

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79 the white, water ; the yolk, fire ; and air was found under the shell. The shepherds of Egypt had a singular manner of cooking eggs without the aid of fire : they placed them in a sling, which they turned so rapidly, that the friction of the air heated them to the exact point required for use." — Soyer's Pantropheon. Preserving fresh eggs.—Varnish them with melted mutton suet, or tallow : immersing them in a strong solution of fresh lime will answer equally as well. In packing, they should be laid on end, for otherwise the yolks, preserving their centre of gravity, fall to the lowest side, and by adhesion to it become tainted sooner than if they were suspended in the centre. The town of Aylesbury has long been famed for a kind of white ducks, valuable for being early breeders, so that by proper management ducklings are sent to market at Christmas, and have been sold in London from fifteen to twenty shillings a pair. " Many families in Bucks," says Mowbray, " derive a com fortable living from breeding and rearing ducks, the greater part of which, the early ones at all events, are actually brought up ■ by hand. The interior of the cottages of those who follow the occupation presents a very curious appearance to the stranger, being furnished with boxes, pens, &c., arranged round the walls for protection of the tender charge of the good wife, and whose whole time and attention are taken up with this branch of domestic economy." In Lloyd's Weekly Paper, December 1854, it is stated,— " Around Aylesbury the annual return for ducks is £40,000 (mistake ?). One man has had one thousand to two thousand ducks, and paid £50 at a time for barley meal." " Among the Chinese novelties to be seen in the vicinity of Canton, but more especially about Wampoa, are duck-boats, used as residences for the owners and their families, as well as for their numerous feathered charge. The fledged bipeds in habit the hold of the boat, and the human bipeds or keepers, the upper accommodations of the vessels. These boats are most abundant about the rice-fields, near the river, soon after the

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80 harvest has been gathered in, as at that time the broad-billed animals glean the fields, and have a better prospect of a supply of food than at any other period. The owner of the boat moves it from place to place, according to the opportunities that may be offered to him of feeding his flock. On the arrival of the boat at the appointed spot, or one considered proper for feeding the quaking tribe, a signal of a whistle cause the flock to waddle in regular order from their domicile across the board placed for their accommodation, and then rambling about, undergo the process of feeding. When it is considered by their keepers that they have gorged sufficiently, another signal is made for the return of the birds : immediately upon hearing it, they congregate and re-enter the boat. The first duck that enters is rewarded with some paddy, the last is whipped for being dilatory ; so that it is ludicrous to see the last birds (knowing by sad experience the fate that awaits them) making efforts to fly en masse over the backs of the others, to escape the chastisement inflicted upon the ultimate duck."— Bennett's Wanderings. Dr. Thompson states,—" The following came under my own observation at Wolf-hill :—Two robins fighting most wickedly in the air, alighted to take breath ; having recovered a little and approached within a foot of each other ready to commence the charge, a duck that had witnessed the combat, quickly waddled up, and in the most gentle and pacific manner, shoved with its bill the one to the right, and the other to the left, thus evidently separating them to prevent a renewal of the conflict." " A farmer's wife had a young duck, which by some accident was deprived of its companions, and from that moment seemed to concentrate all its affections on her. Wherever she moved, it followed her so closely that she was in constant fear of treading upon and crushing it to death. As it grew older, its affections seemed to strengthen rather than diminish ; it laid itself by the fire and basked on the hearth, and when noticed seemed delighted ; this continued till some other ducks were procured, when, being constantly driven out of the house, it gradually

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81 associated itself with its more natural companions."—Bishop Stanley. " We had," says Dr. Huvier, " a very tame ferret, which, for its gentleness, was caressed by all oar ladies ; it was most of its time on their knees. One day when we were in the saloon, a servant entered, holding in his hand a tame duck, which he let loose on the floor ; the ferret immediately darted after the duck, which no sooner perceived it, than he squatted his whole length ; the ferret fell upon him, and sought to bite his neck and head ; in an instant the duck stretched out his body, and figured death ; the ferret then smelled the bird from the head to the foot, and perceiving no signs of life, it left the body, and returned to us : the duck now seeing his enemy retire, rose gently on his toes, seeking to get up his feet ; but the ferret, surprised at this resurrection, ran and threw him down, and did the same a third time. Several days in succession we amused ourselves by re peating this little spectacle; I cannot sufficiently express the sort of intelligence perceived in the conduct of the duck ; scarcely had he extended his head and his neck on the floor, and had got rid of the ferret, than he began to trail his head in such manner as to be able to examine the proceedings of his enemy ; then he raised his head gently and repeatedly, took to his feet, and fled swiftly ; the ferret returned to the charge, and the duck played again the same trick." Anas Moschata, Linn. Head crested; cheeks and regions of eyes covered with a naked membrane of a bright red; back brownish black, with glossy green reflections ; a broad white spot on the wing-coverts : bill red : irides yellowish : legs short, thick, orange-yellow. In the domestic state it exhibits every variety of colour like the common duck. Mr. Belon says that " sometimes the male as well as. the female is entirely white." " A pair of Muscovy ducks were landed at Holyhead from a Liverpool vessel returning from the coast of Africa. The male was conveyed to a gentleman's house in the neighbourhood and introduced to a flock of ducks ; but to them he manifested the M

82 greatest indifference, and was evidently pining at the loss of his mate, when one day she too was brought up and turned loose ; for a short time, being engaged at a distance, he did not see her ; but, when, on turning his head accidentally, he caught a glimpse of his well-known companion, he rushed towards her with an earnestness and affection which greatly touched those who wit nessed the meeting. Nothing from that moment could induce him to quit her, and he manifested his joy at the unexpected re union, by twining his neck on hers, nestling it under her wing, and gazing at her eyes expressive of extreme delight and satis faction."—Bishop Stanley. " My friend Mrs. Katencamp (wife of his Majesty's consul at Messina and Corunna) told me," says the Rev. Mr. Best, 'the great church at Corunna is situated in the market-place, and I have seen, when the bell gave notice of the consecration, the farmers' wives seize their baskets of poultry, and run into the church : there they would squat down on their knees, setting the baskets before them ; and they would be saying their prayers, and the ducks would be saying, quack ! quack ! all the time of the canon ; and then, when both women and green-geese had received the priest's benediction, they would return to their places in the market, all happy and contented.' "—Personal and Literary Memorials, 1829.

" Who teacheth us more than the beast of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven ? "—Job xxxv.

1857. Anchorella uncinata, Nordmann. This parasite was removed from the tongue of the common hake by Miss Vigurs. Ebalia Cranchii, Leach : and Inachus leptockurus, Leach. These beautiful Crustacece were found in trawl refuse by Miss Vigurs. Polybus Menslowii, Leach. Taken alive by Master Sandford Kemp in the harbour; it was swimming near the surface of