Buji 哺記

Buji 哺記 "Records of rearing" is the only traditional text dedicated exclusively to the incubation of eggs. Unfortunately, it is very brief and does touch aspects just very superficially. The author is Huang Baijia 黃百家 (1643-1709), courtesy name Zhuyi 主一, from Ningbo 寧波, Zhejiang, who was a son of the famous thinker Huang Zongxi 黃宗羲 (1610-1695). He learned fist fighting (quanfa 拳法) by Wang Laixian 王來咸 and arithmetics from Mei Wending 梅文鼎 (1633-1721), who inspired him to write a book on geometry, Gougu juce jieyuan 句股矩測解原. In the early 18th century, Huang also served as a historiographer in the office for the compilation of the Ming history Mingshi 明史, the Mingshiguan 明史館.

The book was written after Huang's observations when residing in Keyashan 客厓山. Exciting topics are the differentiation of male and female chickens inside the egg, techniques of incubation of eggs inside of pots (gang 缸), and identifying fertilised eggs and such containing embryos.

The text is found in the series Zhaodai congshu 昭代叢書 and Ciyantang congshu 賜硯堂叢書 (part Wei ke gao 未刻稿).