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Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume 4, Issue 66, 3 July 1851, Page 4

The Chinese prefer the duck, for enting, to any other bird. The watermen and fishermen, who pass all their lives in barks and on rafts, keep an immense quantity of ducks, and such is the sagacity of these birds that they know their respective owners. Thus, though the surface of a lake or river be covered «ith many thousands of ducks belonging to different vessels, intermixed together, yet a Mgnnl given by the master of one of these vessels, who st.ikes for the purpose on a copper gong, all his ducks separate from the rest, suim towards him, and return on board. DeGuigncs accounts for this s<'?ular docility, which is attested by nil traveller, and of which he was several times an eye-witness, by observing that as the gongs of boats are ol different sizes, and give out n different sound, these birds tuny, "ith the less difficulty, be lauitiit to distinguish t' 1 " 1 of their owner. Another writer tells us that the signal is given by a whistle, but the practice may vary in different provinces. Their method of cilching wild ducks is very ingenious, and extremely amusing to the spectator. The sportsman covers his bend with the half of a large hollow gouirl, or dry calabash, in which he makes holes to cnnble him to see mid breathe. He then walks naked into the water, or swims about in such a maimer thai nothing is to be seen above the surface but the gourd which is. attached t; his head. The ducks, which have been accustomed to the siiht ot these gourds floating on the water, and to sp nt and dat blc among them, approach without mistrust. The man seizes tlicm by the legs, pulls them tinder water, breaks their necks to prevent llicm from maiiing a noise, nnd fastens them to his girdle— China in Ulinialure.