Page:Willich, A. F. M. - The Domestic Encyclopædia (Vol. 2, 1802).djvu/226

196] away. At length, the decoy-man appears behind a skreen, and the wild-birds, not daring to pass by him in return, nor being able to effect their escape upwards, on account of the net-covering, rush on into the purse-net.

The general season for catching fowls in decoys, is from the latter end of October till February: the taking of them earlier is prohibited by an act 10 II. c. 32, which forbids it from June the 1st to October the 1st, under the penalty of 5s. for each bird destroyed within that period.

Tame ducks are very useful for destroying the black caterpillars, snails, or slugs, which infest turnip fields: hence, if they are turned into such fields, they will devour all the insects, and do no injury to the crop.

It is remarkable, that ducks are extremely fond of the entrails of other animals, and almost every kind of filth. Hence their flesh, though much relished by the epicure, is of a strong, alkaline flavour, and not easy of digestion. Those who are afflicted with ulcers, or cutaneous eruptions, as well as invalids and convalescents who are liable to eructations, ought carefufully to abstain from this enticing, but hurtful food. If a small quantity of a roasted duck must nevertheless be eaten, it ought to be mixed, during mastication, with a considerable proportion of toasted bread, or biscuits, to absorb and sheath the acrimony which it contains. It is, however, equally absurd and injurious to take drams of spiritiuous liquors after eating such meat; for, instead of assisting the digestive organs, this momentary stimulus cannot fail ultimately to relax them: hence drinking should for a few minutes be delayed, and afterwards water or beer may be used, in very small draughts, which will not inundate and weaken the stomach.  DUCK's-MEAT, or Lemna, L. a genus of plants, consisting of four species, all of which are natives of this country, and grow abundantly in ponds, ditches, and stagnant waters. They are in flower from June to September, and afford a grateful food to ducks and geese, from which circumstance this vegetable has received its name.

In Germany, it is, on account of its various economical uses, often cultivated, by removing the whole plant in pails, and putting it in stagnant waters.—When mingled with bran, it affords excellent food for geese and other poultry. In Thuringia, hogs are reared and fattened with a mixture of duck's-meat, bran, and ground barley. But the most profitable employment of this vegetable, we learn from, who informs us, that "from these apparently useless fibrous roots, a yarn may be spun, which is equal to that obtained from flax."

Duck's-meat is of a cooling, emollient nature, and has therefore been applied to inflammations, erysipelas, or the shingles; and also to the gout, either alone or mixed with barley-meal. Country people sometimes employ it for removing the jaundice: hence they infuse it in white wine, to the quantity ot six ounces, to be taken nine days successively, at the end of which period, it is said to have effected a cure.  DUEL, a single combat, on some private occasion or quarrel, in consequence of a challenge.

Taking away the life of a  son,