Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Nessotrophium

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

NESSOTROPHI'UM (νησσοτροφεῖον). A duck-yard, where ducks were reared and kept; comprising one of the principal dependencies of a country villa or farm. It was enclosed by a wall fifteen feet high, carefully covered with cement of a fine quality, which was highly polished to prevent cats and vermin from climbing up it, and surmounted by a strong trellis, from the top of which a net was spread over the whole enclosure, in order to protect the inmates from birds of prey, and, at the same time, prevent them from flying away. The centre of the enclosure was occupied by a pool of water, having an island planted with aquatic shrubs in the middle; and the sides of the pool laid down in grass to a depth of twenty feet from the margin of the water. Beyond this and against the outer wall the nests for the birds were ranged, each one being a foot square, formed of stone, and having some plants of box or of myrtle between it and its neighbour. Along the front of the nests there was a narrow trough or gutter sunk in the ground, through which a constant stream of water was directed, and in this the food was mixed. (Varro, R. R. iii. 10. Columell. viii. 15.) It is not to be supposed that every duck-yard was formed upon so extensive and perfect a plan; but the above description, from Cato and Columella, supplies a notion of the care and expense bestowed upoon these birds by large farmers, and wealthy country gentlemen.