Chapter XXI: CHICKEN CUTLETS (an Entree) (3)

_Mode_.--Well wash 1 lb. of the best Patna rice, put it into a frying-pan with the butter, which keep moving over a slow fire until the rice is lightly browned. Truss the fowl as for boiling, put it into a stewpan with the stock or broth; pound the spices and seeds thoroughly in a mortar, tie them in a piece of muslin, and put them in with the fowl. Let it boil slowly until it is nearly done; then add the rice, which should stew until quite tender and almost dry; cut the onions into slices, sprinkle them with flour, and fry, without breaking them, of a nice brown colour. Have ready the slices of bacon curled and grilled, and the eggs boiled hard. Lay the fowl in the form of a pyramid upon a dish, smother with the rice, garnish with the bacon, fried onions, and the hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters, and serve very hot. Before taking the rice out, remove the spices.

_Time_.--1/2 hour to stew the fowl without the rice; 1/2 hour with it.

_Average cost_, 4s. 3d. _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

THE SERAI TA-OOK, OR FOWLS OF THE SULTAN.--This fowl is the size
of our English Polands, and is the latest species introduced to
England. They have a white and flowing plumage, a full-sized,
compact Poland tuft on the head, are muffed, have a full flowing
tail, short legs well feathered, and five toes upon each foot.
Their comb consists merely of two little points, and their
wattles are very small: their colour is that of a pure white. In
January, 1854, they arrived in this country from Constantinople;
and they take their name from _sarai_, the Turkish word for
sultan's palace, and _ta-ook_, the Turkish for fowl. They are
thus called the "fowls of the sultan," a name which has the
twofold advantage of being the nearest to be found to that by
which they have been known in their own country, and of
designating the country whence they come. Their habits are
described as being generally brisk and happy-tempered, but not
so easily kept in as Cochin-Chinas. They are excellent layers;
but they are non-sitters and small eaters: their eggs are large
and white. Brahmas or Cochins will clear the crop of a grass-run
long before they will, and, with scattered food, they soon
satisfy themselves and walk away.

POULET AUX CRESSONS.

964. INGREDIENTS.--A fowl, a large bunch of water-cresses, 3 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1/4 pint of gravy.

_Mode_.--Truss and roast a fowl by recipe No. 952, taking care that it is nicely frothed and brown. Wash and dry the water-cresses, pick them nicely, and arrange them in a flat layer on a dish. Sprinkle over a little salt and the above proportion of vinegar; place over these the fowl, and pour over it the gravy. A little gravy should be served in a tureen. When not liked, the vinegar may be omitted.

_Time_.--From 1/2 to 1 hour, according to size.

_Average cost_, in full season, 2s. 6d. each.

_Sufficient_ for 3 or 4 persons.

_Seasonable_ at any time.

ROAST FOWL, Stuffed.

965. INGREDIENTS.--A large fowl, forcemeat No. 417, a little flour.

_Mode_.--Select a large plump fowl, fill the breast with forcemeat, made by recipe No. 417, truss it firmly, the same as for a plain roast fowl, dredge it with flour, and put it down to a bright fire. Roast it for nearly or quite an hour, should it be very large; remove the skewers, and serve with a good brown gravy and a tureen of bread sauce.

_Time_.--Large fowl, nearly or quite 1 hour.

_Average cost_, in full season, 2s. 6d. each.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ all the year, but scarce in early spring.

_Note_.--Sausage-meat stuffing may be substituted for the above: this is now a very general mode of serving fowl.

PENCILLED HAMBURG.--This variety of the Hamburg fowl is of two
colours, golden and silver, and is very minutely marked. The
hens of both should have the body clearly pencilled across with
several bars of black, and the hackle in both, sexes should be
perfectly free from dark marks. The cocks do not exhibit the
pencillings, but are white or brown in the golden or silver
birds respectively. Their form is compact, and their attitudes
graceful and sprightly. The hens do not sit, but lay extremely
well; hence one of their common names, that of Dutch every-day
layers. They are also known in different parts of the country,
as Chitteprats, Creoles, or Corals, Bolton bays and grays, and,
in some parts of Yorkshire, by the wrong name of Corsican fowls.
They are imported in large numbers from Holland, but those bred
in this country are greatly superior in size.

GIBLET PIE.

966. INGREDIENTS.--A set of duck or goose giblets, 1 lb. of rump-steak, 1 onion, 1/2 teaspoonful of whole black pepper, a bunch of savoury herbs, plain crust.

_Mode_.--Clean, and put the giblets into a stewpan with an onion, whole pepper, and a bunch of savoury herbs; add rather more than a pint of water, and simmer gently for about 1-1/2 hour. Take them out, let them cool, and cut them into pieces; line the bottom of a pie-dish with a few pieces of rump-steak; add a layer of giblets and a few more pieces of steak; season with pepper and salt, and pour in the gravy (which should be strained), that the giblets were stewed in; cover with a plain crust, and bake for rather more than 1-1/2 hour in a brisk oven. Cover a piece of paper over the pie, to prevent the crust taking too much colour.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour to stew the giblets, about 1 hour to bake the pie.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the giblets, 1s. 4d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

THE BRENT GOOSE.--This is the smallest and most numerous species
of the geese which visit the British islands. It makes its
appearance in winter, and ranges over the whole of the coasts
and estuaries frequented by other migrant geese. Mr. Selby
states that a very large body of these birds annually resort to
the extensive sandy and muddy flats which lie between the
mainland and Holy Island, on the Northumbrian coast, and which
are covered by every flow of the tide. This part of the coast
appears to have been a favourite resort of these birds from time
immemorial, where they have always received the name of Ware
geese, no doubt from their continually feeding on marine
vegetables. Their flesh is very agreeable.

HASHED GOOSE.

967. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of cold roast goose, 2 onions, 2 oz. of butter, 1 pint of boiling water, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, pepper and salt to taste, 1 tablespoonful of port wine, 2 tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup.

_Mode_.--Cut up the goose into pieces of the size required; the inferior joints, trimmings, &c., put into a stewpan to make the gravy; slice and fry the onions in the butter of a very pale brown; add these to the trimmings, and pour over about a pint of boiling water; stew these gently for 3/4 hour, then skim and strain the liquor. Thicken it with flour, and flavour with port wine and ketchup, in the above proportion; add a seasoning of pepper and salt, and put in the pieces of goose; let these get thoroughly hot through, but do not allow them to boil, and serve with sippets of toasted bread.

_Time_.--Altogether, rather more than 1 hour.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the cold goose, 4d.

_Seasonable_ from September to March.

THE WILD GOOSE.--This bird is sometimes called the "Gray-lag"
and is the original of the domestic goose. It is, according to
Pennant, the only species which the Britons could take young,
and familiarize. "The Gray-lag," says Mr. Gould, "is known to
Persia, and we believe it is generally dispersed over Asia
Minor." It is the bird that saved the Capitol by its vigilance,
and by the Romans was cherished accordingly.

ROAST GOOSE.

968. INGREDIENTS.--Goose, 4 large onions, 10 sage-leaves, 1/4 lb. of bread crumbs, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, 1 egg.

_Choosing and Trussing_.--Select a goose with a clean white skin, plump breast, and yellow feet: if these latter are red, the bird is old. Should the weather permit, let it hang for a few days: by so doing, the flavour will be very much improved. Pluck, singe, draw, and carefully wash and wipe the goose; cut off the neck close to the back, leaving the skin long enough to turn over; cut off the feet at the first joint, and separate the pinions at the first joint. Beat the breast-bone flat with a rolling-pin, put a skewer through the under part of each wing, and having drawn up the legs closely, put a skewer into the middle of each, and pass the same quite through the body. Insert another skewer into the small of the leg, bring it close down to the side bone, run it through, and do the same to the other side. Now cut off the end of the vent, and make a hole in the skin sufficiently large for the passage of the rump, in order to keep in the seasoning.

_Mode_.--Make a sage-and-onion stuffing of the above ingredients, by recipe No. 504; put it into the body of the goose, and secure it firmly at both ends, by passing the rump through the hole made in the skin, and the other end by tying the skin of the neck to the back; by this means the seasoning will not escape. Put it down to a brisk fire, keep it well basted, and roast from 1-1/2 to 2 hours, according to the size. Remove the skewers, and serve with a tureen of good gravy, and one of well-made apple-sauce. Should a very highly-flavoured seasoning be preferred, the onions should not be parboiled, but minced raw: of the two methods, the mild seasoning is far superior. A ragoût, or pie, should be made of the giblets, or they may be stewed down to make gravy. Be careful to serve the goose before the breast falls, or its appearance will be spoiled by coming flattened to table. As this is rather a troublesome joint to carve, a _large_ quantity of gravy should not be poured round the goose, but sent in a tureen.

_Time_.--A large goose, 1-3/4 hour; a moderate-sized one, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hour.

_Seasonable_ from September to March; but in perfection from Michaelmas to Christmas.

_Average cost_, 5s. 6d. each. _Sufficient_ for 8 or 9 persons.

_Note_.--A teaspoonful of made mustard, a saltspoonful of salt, a few grains of cayenne, mixed with a glass of port wine, are sometimes poured into the goose by a slit made in the apron. This sauce is, by many persons, considered an improvement.

THE GOOSE.--This bird is pretty generally distributed over the
face of the globe, being met with in North America, Lapland,
Iceland, Arabia, and Persia. Its varieties are numerous; but in
England there is only one species, which is supposed to be a
native breed. The best geese are found on the borders of
Suffolk, and in Norfolk and Berkshire; but the largest flocks
are reared in the fens of Lincolnshire and Cambridge. They
thrive best where they have an easy access to water, and large
herds of them are sent every year to London, to be fattened by
the metropolitan poulterers. "A Michaelmas goose," says Dr.
Kitchener, "is as famous in the mouths of the million as the
minced-pie at Christmas; yet for those who eat with delicacy, it
is, at that time, too full-grown. The true period when the goose
is in the highest perfection is when it has just acquired its
full growth, and not begun to harden; if the March goose is
insipid, the Michaelmas goose is rank. The fine time is between
both; from the second week in June to the first in September."
It is said that the Michaelmas goose is indebted to Queen
Elizabeth for its origin on the table at that season. Her
majesty happened to dine on one at the table of an English
baronet, when she received the news of the discomfiture of the
Spanish Armada. In commemoration of this event, she commanded
the goose to make its appearance at table on every Michaelmas.
We here give an engraving of the Emden goose.

TO DRESS A GREEN GOOSE.

969. INGREDIENTS.--Goose, 3 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Geese are called green till they are about four months old, and should not be stuffed. After it has been singed and trussed, the same as in the preceding recipe, put into the body a seasoning of pepper and salt, and the butter to moisten it inside. Roast before a clear fire for about 3/4 hour, froth and brown it nicely, and serve with a brown gravy, and, when liked, gooseberry-sauce. This dish should be garnished with water-cresses.

_Time_.--About 3/4 hour. _Average cost_, 4s. 6d. each.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ in June, July, and August.

THE EGYPTIAN GOOSE.--Especial attention has been directed to
this bird by Herodotus, who says it was held sacred by the
ancient Egyptians, which has been partially confirmed by modern
travellers. Mr. Salt remarks, "Horus Apollo says the old geese
stay with their young in the most imminent danger, at the risk
of their own lives, which I have myself frequently witnessed.
Vielpanser is the goose of the Nile, and wherever this goose is
represented on the walls of the temples in colours, the
resemblance may be clearly traced." The goose is also said to
have been a bird under the care of Isis. It has been placed by
Mr. Gould amongst the birds of Europe; not from the number of
half-reclaimed individuals which are annually shot in Britain,
but from the circumstance of its occasionally visiting the
southern parts of the continent from its native country, Africa.
The Toulouse goose, of which we give an engraving, is a
well-known bird.

ROAST GUINEA-FOWL, Larded.

970. INGREDIENTS.--A Guinea-fowl, lardoons, flour, and salt.

_Mode_.--When this bird is larded, it should be trussed the same as a pheasant; if plainly roasted, truss it like a turkey. After larding and trussing it, put it down to roast at a brisk fire; keep it well basted, and a short time before serving, dredge it with a little flour, and let it froth nicely. Serve with a little gravy in the dish, and a tureen of the same, and one of well-made bread-sauce.

_Time_.--Guinea-fowl, larded, 1-1/4 hour; plainly roasted, about 1 hour.

_Sufficient_ for 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ in winter.

_Note_.--The breast, if larded, should be covered with a piece of paper, and removed about 10 minutes before serving.

THE GUINEA-FOWL.--The bird takes its name from Guinea, in
Africa, where it is found--wild, and in great abundance. It is
gregarious in its habits, associating in flocks of two or three
hundred, delighting in marshy grounds, and at night perching
upon trees, or on high situations. Its size is about the same as
that of a common hen, but it stands higher on its legs. Though
domesticated, it retains much of its wild nature, and is apt to
wander. The hens lay abundantly, and the eggs are excellent. In
their flesh, however, they are not so white as the common fowl,
but more inclined to the colour of the pheasant, for which it
frequently makes a good substitute at table. The flesh is both
savoury and easy of digestion, and is in season when game is out
of season.

LARK PIE (an Entree).

971. INGREDIENTS.--A few thin slices of beef, the same of bacon, 9 larks, flour; for stuffing, 1 teacupful of bread crumbs, 1/2 teaspoonful of minced lemon-peel, 1 teaspoonful of minced parsley, 1 egg, salt and pepper to taste, 1 teaspoonful of chopped shalot, 1/2 pint of weak stock or water, puff-paste.

_Mode_.--Make a stuffing of bread crumbs, minced lemon-peel, parsley, and the yolk of an egg, all of which should be well mixed together; roll the larks in flour, and stuff them. Line the bottom of a pie-dish with a few slices of beef and bacon; over these place the larks, and season with salt, pepper, minced parsley, and chopped shalot, in the above proportion. Pour in the stock or water, cover with crust, and bake for an hour in a moderate oven. During the time the pie is baking, shake it 2 or 3 times, to assist in thickening the gravy, and serve very hot.

_Time_.--1 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. 6d. a dozen.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_.--In full season in November.

ROAST LARKS.

972. INGREDIENTS.--Larks, egg and bread crumbs, fresh butter.

_Mode_.--These birds are by many persons esteemed a great delicacy, and may be either roasted or broiled. Pick, gut, and clean them; when they are trussed, brush them over with the yolk of an egg; sprinkle with bread crumbs, and roast them before a quick fire; baste them continually with fresh butter, and keep sprinkling with the bread crumbs until the birds are well covered. Dish them on bread crumbs fried in clarified butter, and garnish the dish with slices of lemon. Broiled larks are also very excellent: they should be cooked over a clear fire, and would take about 10 minutes or 1/4 hour.

_Time_.--1/4 hour to roast; 10 minutes to broil.

_Seasonable_.--In full season in November.

_Note_.--Larks may also be plainly roasted, without covering them with egg and bread crumbs; they should be dished on fried crumbs.

BROILED PIGEONS.

973. INGREDIENTS.--Pigeons, 3 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste.

_Mode_.--Take care that the pigeons are quite fresh, and carefully pluck, draw, and wash them; split the backs, rub the birds over with butter, season them with pepper and salt, and broil them over a moderate fire for 1/4 hour or 20 minutes. Serve very hot, with either mushroom-sauce or a good gravy. Pigeons may also be plainly boiled, and served with parsley and butter; they should be trussed like boiled fowls, and take from 1/4 hour to 20 minutes to boil.

_Time_.--To broil a pigeon, from 1/4 hour to 20 minutes; to boil one, the same time.

_Average cost_, from 6d. to 9d. each.

_Seasonable_ from April to September, but in the greatest perfection from midsummer to Michaelmas.

THE POUTER PIGEON.--This is a very favourite pigeon, and,
without doubt, the most curious of his species. He is a tail
strong bird, as he had need be to carry about his great inflated
crop, frequently as large and as round as a middling-sized
turnip. A perfect pouter, seen on a windy day, is certainly a
ludicrous sight: his feathered legs have the appearance of white
trousers; his tapering tail looks like a swallow-tailed coat;
his head is entirely concealed by his immense windy
protuberance; and, altogether, he reminds you of a little
"swell" of a past century, staggering under a bale of linen. The
most common pouters are the blues, buffs, and whites, or an
intermixture of all these various colours. The pouter is not a
prolific breeder, is a bad nurse, and more likely to degenerate,
if not repeatedly crossed and re-crossed with Irish stock, than
any other pigeon: nevertheless, it is a useful bird to keep if
you are founding a new colony, as it is much attached to its
home, and little apt to stray; consequently it is calculated to
induce more restless birds to fettle down and make themselves
comfortable. If you wish to breed pouters, you cannot do worse
than intrust them with the care of their own eggs.

ROAST PIGEONS.

974. INGREDIENTS.--Pigeons, 3 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste.

_Trussing_.--Pigeons, to be good, should be eaten fresh (if kept a little, the flavour goes off), and they should be drawn as soon as killed. Cut off the heads and necks, truss the wings over the backs, and cut off the toes at the first joint: previous to trussing, they should be carefully cleaned, as no bird requires so much washing.

_Mode_.--Wipe the birds very dry, season them inside with pepper and salt, and put about 3/4 oz. of butter into the body of each: this makes them moist. Put them down to a bright fire, and baste them well the whole of the time they are cooking (they will be done enough in from 20 to 30 minutes); garnish with fried parsley, and serve with a tureen of parsley and butter. Bread-sauce and gravy, the same as for roast fowl, are exceedingly nice accompaniments to roast pigeons, as also egg-sauce.

_Time_.--From 20 minutes to 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 6d. to 9d. each.

_Seasonable_ from April to September; but in the greatest perfection from Midsummer to Michaelmas.

THE PIGEON--The pigeon tribe forms a connecting ling between the
passerine birds and poultry. They are widely distributed over
the world, some of the species being found even in the arctic
regions. Their chief food is grain, and they drink much; not at
intervals, like other birds, but by a continuous draught, like
quadrupeds. The wild pigeon, or stockdove, is the parent whence
all the varieties of the domestic pigeon are derived. In the
wild state it is still found in many parts of this island,
making its nest in the holes of rocks, in the hollows of trees,
or in old towers, but never, like the ringdove, on branches. The
blue house-pigeon is the variety principally reared for the
table in this country, and is produced from our farmyards in
great numbers. When young, and still fed by their parents, they
are most preferable for the table, and are called _squabs_;
under six months they are denominated _squeakers_, and at six
months they begin to breed. Their flesh is accounted savoury,
delicate, and stimulating, and the dark-coloured birds are
considered to have the highest flavour, whilst the light are
esteemed to have the more delicate flesh.

THE PIGEON-HOUSE, OR DOVECOT.--The first thing to be done
towards keeping pigeons is to provide a commodious place for
their reception; and the next is, to provide the pigeons
themselves. The situation or size of the dovecot will
necessarily depend on convenience; but there is one point which
must invariably be observed, and that is, that every pair of
pigeons has two holes or rooms to nest in. This is
indispensable, as, without it, there will be no security, but
the constant prospect of confusion, breaking of eggs, and the
destruction of young. The proper place for the pigeon-house is
the poultry-yard; but it does very well near dwellings, stables,
brewhouses, bakehouses, or such offices. Some persons keep
pigeons in rooms, and have them making their nests on the floor.
The object is to escape the danger of the young falling out; but
in such cases, there is a great risk of rats or other vermin
getting at the pigeons.

ASPECT OF THE PIGEON-HOUSE.--The front of the pigeon-house
should have a southwest aspect, and, if a room be selected for
the purpose, it is usual to break a hole in the roof of the
building for the passage of the pigeons, but which can be closed
at convenience. A platform ought to be laid at the entrance for
the pigeons to perch upon, with some kind of defence against
strange cats, which will frequently depopulate a whole dovecot.
Yet, although cats are dangerous neighbours for the birds, they
are necessary to defend them from the approach of rats and mice,
which will not only suck the eggs, but destroy the birds. The
platform should be painted white, and renewed as the paint wears
off, white being a favourite colour with pigeons, and also most
conspicuous as a mark to enable them to find their house. The
boxes ought also to be similarly painted, and renewed when
necessary, for which purpose lime and water will do very well.

THE NECESSITY OF CLEANLINESS.--As cleanliness in human
habitations is of the first importance, so is it in the
pigeon-house. There the want of it will soon render the place a
nuisance not to be approached, and the birds, both young and
old, will be so covered with vermin and filth, that they will
neither enjoy health nor comforts, whilst early mortality
amongst them will be almost certain. In some cases, the
pigeon-house is cleaned daily; but it should always be done, at
any rate, once a week, and the floor covered with sifted gravel,
frequently renewed. Pigeons being exceedingly fond of water, and
having a prescience of the coming of rain, they may be seen upon
the house-tops waiting upon it until late in the evening, and
then spreading their wings to receive the luxury of the
refreshing shower. When they are confined in a room, therefore,
they should be allowed a wide pan of water, to be often renewed.
This serves them for a bath, which cools, refreshes, and assists
them to keep their bodies clear of vermin.

BREEDING PIGEONS.--In breeding pigeons, it is necessary to match
a cock and hen, and shut them up together, or place them near to
each other, and in the course of a day or two there is little
doubt of their mating. Various rules have been laid down for the
purpose of assisting to distinguish the cock from the hen
pigeon; but the masculine forwardness and action of the cock is
generally so remarkable, that he is easily ascertained. The
pigeon being monogamous, the male attaches and confines himself
to one female, and the attachment is reciprocal, and the
fidelity of the dove to its mate is proverbial. At the age of
six months, young pigeons are termed squeakers, and then begin
to breed, when properly managed. Their courtship, and the
well-known tone of voice in the cock, just then acquired and
commencing, are indications of their approaching union.
Nestlings, while fed by cock and hen, are termed squabs, and
are, at that age, sold and used for the table. The dove-house
pigeon is said to breed monthly, when well supplied with food.
At all events, it may be depended on, that pigeons of almost any
healthy and well-established variety will breed eight or nine
times in the year; whence it may readily be conceived how vast
are the numbers that may be raised.

THE CARRIER PIGEON.--Without doubt the carrier is entitled to
rank first in the pigeon family, with the exception, perhaps, of
the blue-rock pigeons. No domestic fowl can be traced to so
remote an antiquity. When Greece was in its glory, carrier
pigeons were used to convey to distant parts the names of the
victors at the Olympian games. During the holy war, when Acre
was besieged by King Richard, Saladin habitually corresponded
with the besieged by means of carrier pigeons. A shaft from an
English crossbow, however, happened to bring one of those
feathered messengers to the ground, and the stratagem was
discovered, the design of the Saracens revealed, and so turned
against the designers, that Acre was in the hands of the
Christians before the wily Saladin dreamt of such a thing.

PIGEON PIE (Epsom Grand-Stand Recipe).

975. INGREDIENTS.--1-1/2 lb. of rump-steak, 2 or 3 pigeons, 3 slices of ham, pepper and salt to taste, 2 oz. of butter, 4 eggs, puff crust.

_Mode_.--Cut the steak into pieces about 3 inches square, and with it line the bottom of a pie-dish, seasoning it well with pepper and salt. Clean the pigeons, rub them with pepper and salt inside and out, and put into the body of each rather more than 1/2 oz. of butter; lay them on the steak, and a piece of ham on each pigeon. Add the yolks of 4 eggs, and half fill the dish with stock; place a border of puff paste round the edge of the dish, put on the cover, and ornament it in any way that may be preferred. Clean three of the feet, and place them in a hole made in the crust at the top: this shows what kind of pie it is. Glaze the crust,--that is to say, brush it over with the yolk of an egg,--and bake it in a well-heated oven for about 1-1/4 hour. When liked, a seasoning of pounded mace may be added.

_Time_.--1-1/4 hour, or rather less. _Average cost_, 5s. 3d.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons. _Seasonable_ at any time.

TUMBLER PIGEONS.--The smaller the size of this variety, the
greater its value. The head should be round and smooth, the neck
thin, and the tail similar to that of the turbit. Highly-bred
birds of this variety will attain an elevation in their flight
beyond that of any other pigeons; and it is in seeing these
little birds wing themselves so far into the skies that the
fanciers take such delight. For four or five hours tumblers have
been known to keep on the wing; and it is when they are almost
lost to the power of human vision that they exhibit those
pantomimic feats which give them their name, and which are
marked by a tumbling over-and-over process, which suggests the
idea of their having suddenly become giddy, been deprived of
their self-control, or overtaken by some calamity. This
acrobatic propensity in these pigeons has been ascribed by some
to the absence of a proper power in the tail; but is nothing
more than a natural habit, for which no adequate reason can be
assigned. Of this variety, the Almond Tumbler is the most
beautiful; and the greater the variation of the colour in the
flight and tail, the greater their value.

THE RUNT PIGEON.--This is generally esteemed among the largest
of the pigeon varieties, and being possessed of proportionate
strength, with a strong propensity to exercise it, they keep the
dovecot in a state of almost continual commotion by domineering
over the weaker inmates. They breed tolerably well, however, and
are valuable for the table. There is both the Leghorn and the
Spanish Runt, variously plumaged; but when red, white, or black
mottled, are most highly esteemed. One of the great advantages
connected with the Runt is, that he is not likely to fly away
from home. Being heavy birds, they find it difficult, when well
fed, to mount even to a low housetop. Again, they require no
loft, or special dwelling-place, but, if properly tended, will
be perfectly satisfied, and thrive as well, in a rabbit-hutch as
any where. Their flavour is very good; and it is not an uncommon
thing for a squeaker Runt to exceed a pound and a quarter in
weight.

THE NUN PIGEON.--The Tumbler bears a strong resemblance to this
variety, which is characterized by a tuft of feathers rising
from the back of the head, and which, on the whole, is an
extremely pretty little bird. According to the colour of the
head, it is called the red, black, or yellow-headed Nun. To be a
perfect bird, it should have a small head and beak; and the
larger the tuft at the back of his head, the handsomer the bird
is esteemed, and proportionately valuable in the eyes of
pigeon-fanciers.

THE TRUMPETER PIGEON.--From the circumstance of this bird
imitating the sound of a trumpet, instead of cooing, like other
pigeons, it has received its designation. It is of the middle
size, having its legs and feet covered with feathers, and its
plumage generally of a mottled black-and-white. It has a tuft
springing from the root of its beak, and the larger this topknot
is, the higher the estimation in which the breed is held. In
their powers of trumpeting some are more expert than others; and
whether this has any effect in influencing their own estimate of
themselves, we cannot say; but they are rather select in the
choice of their company. If two of them are put in a
pigeon-house with other doves, it will be found that they
confine their association almost entirely to each other. As much
as two guineas have been paid for a well-trained docile bird of
this kind.

THE WOOD, OR WILD PIGEON.--Buffon enumerates upwards of thirty
varieties of the pigeon, which he derives from one root,--viz.
the stockdove, or common wild pigeon. All the varieties of
colour and form which we witness, he attributes to human
contrivance and fancy. Nevertheless, there exist essentially
specific differences in these birds, which would appear to be
attributable rather to the nature of the region, soil, and
climate to which they are indigenous, than to the art and
ingenuity of man. The stockdove, in its wild state, is still
found in some parts of Britain, forming its nest in the holes of
rocks, old towers, and in the hollows of trees; it never,
however, like the ringdove, nestles in the branches. Multitudes
of wild pigeons still visit our shores in the winter, coming
from their more northerly retreats, making their appearance
about November, and retiring again in the spring. When forests
of beechwood covered large tracts of the ground of this country,
these birds used to haunt them in myriads, frequently covering a
mile of ground in extent when they went out in the morning to
feed.

STEWED PIGEONS.

976. INGREDIENTS.--6 pigeons, a few slices of bacon, 3 oz. of butter, 2 tablespoonfuls of minced parsley, sufficient stock No. 104 to cover the pigeons, thickening of butter and flour, 1 tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, 1 tablespoonful of port wine.

_Mode_.--Empty and clean the pigeons thoroughly, mince the livers, add to these the parsley and butter, and put it into the insides of the birds. Truss them with the legs inward, and put them into a stewpan, with a few slices of bacon placed under and over them; add the stock, and stew gently for rather more than 1/2 hour. Dish the pigeons, strain the gravy, thicken it with butter and flour, add the ketchup and port wine, give one boil, pour over the pigeons, and serve.

_Time_.--Rather more than 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 6d. to 9d. each.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ from April to September.

THE FANTAIL PIGEON.--This curious variety is inferior in point
of size to most of the other varieties, and is characterized by
having a short, slender bill, pendent wings, and naked legs and
feet. It has the power of erecting its tail in the manner of a
turkey-cock; during which action, especially when paying court
to it's mate, it trembles or shakes, like the peacock when
moving about with his train expanded and in full display. This
power of erecting and spreading the tail is not confined to the
male bird alone: the female possesses the same power to an equal
extent, and otherwise resembles the male in every respect. It is
not very prolific, and seldom succeeds so well in the aviary or
pigeon-house as most of the other kinds.

THE JACOBIN PIGEON.--This variety, having the power to transmit
to posterity a form precisely similar, with all its peculiar
characters undiminished, is, among pigeon-fanciers, designated
as of a pure or permanent race. It is distinguished by a
remarkable ruff or frill of raised feathers, which, commencing
behind the head and proceeding down the neck and breast, forms a
kind of hood, not unlike that worn by a monk. From this
circumstance, it has obtained its Gallic name of _nonnain
capuchin_. In size it is one of the smallest of the domestic
pigeons, and its form is light and elegant. It is a very
productive species, and, having its flight considerably impeded
by the size and form of its hooded frill, keeps much at home,
and is well adapted for the aviary or other buildings where
pigeons are confined.

THE TURBIT PIGEON.--This variety bears a strong resemblance to
the Jacobin, having a kind of frill in the fore part of its
neck, occasioned by the breast-feathers lying contrariwise and
standing straight out. The species is classed in accordance with
the colour of the shoulders, similarly as the Nuns are by the
colour of their heads. Their characteristics of excellence are a
full frill, short bill, and small round head. In Germany it is
called the ruffle pigeon, in allusion to the feathers on its
breast; and it has rarely any feathers on its feet. There is a
peculiarity connected with this bird, which somewhat lowers it
in the estimation of fanciers: it seldom rears more than one at
a time, which, therefore, marks it as a bird rather for
amusement than profit.

THE BARB PIGEON.--The name of this variety is a contraction of
Barbary, from which country it originally comes. It is both
prolific and has excellent qualities as a nurse. The kind most
esteemed is that of one uniform colour, that of blue-black being
preferable to any other. Speckled or mottled Barbs are esteemed
the most common of all pigeons. It is not unlike the Carrier
pigeon, and, at a small distance, might easily be mistaken for
the latter. It has a short beak and a small wattle. A spongy,
pinky skin round the eyes is its chief characteristic, however,
and this increases in size till the bird is three or four years
old. This peculiarity is hardly distinguishable in very young
birds.

THE ROCK PIGEON.--This variety, in its wild state, is found upon
the rocky parts of the west of Scotland, and the bold shores of
the Western Isles, more abundant than in any other parts of the
British islands. As the shores of the mainland are exposed to
the muds of the Atlantic, and the comparatively small islands
are surrounded by that ocean, the low grounds exposed to the
west are seldom covered with snow for any length of time, and
thus the birds easily find a supply of food. The numbers which
there congregate are often very great, and the din of their
united cry is sometimes very loud and even alarming. The love of
home and the certainty of returning to it is very conspicuous in
the rock-pigeon or _biset_, as it is called by the French.
Flocks from different parts of the coasts often meet on the
feeding-grounds; but when the time of returning to rest comes
round, each one keeps to its own party.

THE OWL PIGEON.--This pigeon does not seem to be so well known
as it formerly was, if we may judge from the fact that few
modern writers mention it. Like the Turbit pigeon, the Owl has a
remarkable tuft of feathers on the breast, it having been
compared by some to the frill of a shirt, and by others to a
full-blown white rose. In size, it is not quite so large a
pigeon as the Jacobin. It is said to be preferred in France,
above other varieties, as a bird to rear and kill for the table.
In England it is very far from being common; indeed, we have
applied to several keepers of pigeons, who have fancied
themselves acquainted with all the varieties of this bird, and
they have been able to tell us nothing of it. Mr. Harrison Weir,
our artist, however, has made his portrait from the life.

BOILED RABBIT.

977. INGREDIENTS.--Rabbit; water.

_Mode_.--For boiling, choose rabbits with smooth and sharp claws, as that denotes they are young: should these be blunt and rugged, the ears dry and tough, the animal is old. After emptying and skinning it, wash it well in cold water, and let it soak for about 1/4 hour in warm water, to draw out the blood. Bring the head round to the side, and fasten it there by means of a skewer run through that and the body. Put the rabbit into sufficient hot water to cover it, let it boil very gently until tender, which will be in from 1/2 to 3/4 hour, according to its size and age. Dish it, and smother it either with onion, mushroom, or liver sauce, or parsley-and-butter; the former is, however, generally preferred to any of the last-named sauces. When liver-sauce is preferred, the liver should be boiled for a few minutes, and minced very finely, or rubbed through a sieve before it is added to the sauce.

_Time_.--A very young rabbit, 1/2 hour; a large one, 3/4 hour; an old one, 1 hour or longer.

_Average cost_, from 1s. to 1s. 6d. each.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

_Seasonable_ from September to February.

THE RABBIT.--Though this animal is an inhabitant of most
temperate climates, it does not reach so far north as the hare.
The wild rabbit is a native of Great Britain, and is found in
large numbers in the sandy districts of Norfolk and
Cambridgeshire. Its flesh is, by some, considered to have a
higher flavour than that of the tame rabbit, although it is
neither so white nor so delicate. The animal, however, becomes
larger and fatter in the tame than in the wild state; but it is
not desirable to have it so fat as it can be made.

CURRIED RABBIT.

978. INGREDIENTS.--1 rabbit, 2 oz. of butter, 3 onions, 1 pint of stock No. 104, 1 tablespoonful of curry powder, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 teaspoonful of mushroom powder, the juice of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 lb. of rice.

_Mode_.--Empty, skin, and wash the rabbit thoroughly, and cut it neatly into joints. Put it into a stewpan with the butter and sliced onions, and let them acquire a nice brown colour, but do not allow them to blacken. Pour in the stock, which should be boiling; mix the curry powder and flour smoothly with a little water, add it to the stock, with the mushroom powder, and simmer gently for rather more than 1/2 hour; squeeze in the lemon-juice, and serve in the centre of a dish, with an edging of boiled rice all round. Where economy is studied, water may be substituted for the stock; in this case, the meat and onions must be very nicely browned. A little sour apple and rasped cocoa-nut stewed with the curry will be found a great improvement.

_Time_.--Altogether 3/4 hour.

_Average cost_, from 1s. to 1s. 6d. each.

_Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

_Seasonable_ in winter.

THE COMMON OR WILD RABBIT.--Warrens, or inclosures, are
frequently made in favourable localities, and some of them are
so large as to comprise 2,000 acres. The common wild rabbit is
of a grey colour, and is esteemed the best for the purposes of
food. Its skin is valuable as an article of commerce, being used
for the making of hats. Another variety of the rabbit, however,
called the "silver-grey," has been lately introduced to this
country, and is still more valuable. Its colour is a black
ground, thickly interspersed with grey hairs; and its powers as
a destroyer and consumer of vegetable food are well known to be
enormous, especially by those who have gardens in the vicinity
of a rabbit-warren.

FRIED RABBIT.

979. INGREDIENTS.--1 rabbit, flour, dripping, 1 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of minced shalot, 2 tablespoonfuls of mushroom ketchup.

_Mode_.--Cut the rabbit into neat joints, and flour them well; make the dripping boiling in a fryingpan, put in the rabbit, and fry it a nice brown. Have ready a very hot dish, put in the butter, shalot, and ketchup; arrange the rabbit pyramidically on this, and serve as quickly as possible.

_Time_.--10 minutes. _Average cost_, from 1s. to 1s. 6d. each.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ from September to February.

_Note_.--The rabbit may be brushed over with egg, and sprinkled with bread crumbs, and fried as above. When cooked in this manner, make a gravy in the pan by recipe No. 866, and pour it round, but not over, the pieces of rabbit.

VARIETIES IN RABBITS.--Almost everybody knows that a rabbit is a
furry animal, that lives on plants, and burrows in the ground;
that it has its varieties as well as other animals, and that it
is frequently an especial favourite with boys. Among its
varieties, the short-legged, with width and substance of loin,
is the most hardy, and fattens the most expeditiously. It has,
besides, the soundest liver, rabbits generally being subject to
defects of that part. It is also the smallest variety. There is
a very large species of the hare-colour, having much bone,
length and depth of carcase, large and long ears, with full
eyes, resembling those of the hare: it might readily be taken
for a hybrid or mule, but for the objection to its breeding. Its
flesh is high-coloured, substantial, and more savoury than that
of the common rabbit; and, cooked like the hare, it makes a good
dish. The large white, and yellow and white species, have whiter
and more delicate flesh, and, cooked in the same way, will rival
the turkey. Rabbits are divided into four kinds, distinguished
as warreners, parkers, hedgehogs, and sweethearts. The warrener,
as his name implies, is a member of a subterranean community,
and is less effeminate than his kindred who dwell _upon_ the
earth and have "the world at their will," and his fur is the
most esteemed. After him, comes the parker, whose favourite
resort is a gentleman's pleasure-ground, where he usually breeds
in great numbers, and from which he frequently drives away the
hares. The hedgehog is a sort of vagabond rabbit, that, tinker
like, roams about the country, and would have a much better coat
on his back if he was more settled in his habits, and remained
more at home. The sweetheart is a tame rabbit, with its fur so
sleek, soft, and silky, that it is also used to some extent in
the important branch of hat-making.

RABBIT A LA MINUTE.

980. INGREDIENTS.--1 rabbit, 1/4 lb. of butter, salt and pepper to taste, 2 blades of pounded mace, 3 dried mushrooms, 2 tablespoonfuls of minced parsley, 2 teaspoonfuls of flour, 2 glasses of sherry, 1 pint of water.

_Mode_.--Empty, skin, and wash the rabbit thoroughly, and cut it into joints. Put the butter into a stewpan with the pieces of rabbit; add salt, pepper, and pounded mace, and let it cook until three parts done; then put in the remaining ingredients, and boil for about 10 minutes: it will then be ready to serve. Fowls or hare may be dressed in the same manner.

_Time_.--Altogether, 35 minutes. _Average cost_, from 1s. to 1s. 6d. each.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ from September to February.

RABBIT PIE.

981. INGREDIENTS.--1 rabbit, a few slices of ham, salt and white pepper to taste, 2 blades of pounded mace, 1/2 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, a few forcemeat balls, 3 hard-boiled eggs, 1/2 pint of gravy, puff crust.

_Mode_.--Cut up the rabbit (which should be young), remove the breastbone, and bone the legs. Put the rabbit, slices of ham, forcemeat balls, and hard eggs, by turns, in layers, and season each layer with pepper, salt, pounded mace, and grated nutmeg. Pour in about 1/2 pint of water, cover with crust, and bake in a well-heated oven for about 1-1/2 hour. Should the crust acquire too much colour, place a piece of paper over it to prevent its burning. When done, pour in at the top, by means of the hole in the middle of the crust, a little good gravy, which may be made of the breast- and leg-bones of the rabbit and 2 or 3 shank-bones, flavoured with onion, herbs, and spices.

_Time_.--1-1/2 hour. _Average cost_, from 1s. to 1s. 6d. each.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ from September to February.

Note.--The liver of the rabbit may be boiled, minced, and mixed with the forcemeat balls, when the flavour is liked.

FECUNDITY OF THE RABBIT.--The fruitfulness of this animal has
been the subject of wonder to all naturalists. It breeds seven
times in the year, and generally begets seven or eight young
ones at a time. If we suppose this to happen regularly for a
period of four years, the progeny that would spring from a
single pair would amount to more than a million. As the rabbit,
however, has many enemies, it can never be permitted to increase
in numbers to such an extent as to prove injurious to mankind;
for it not only furnishes man with an article of food, but is,
by carnivorous animals of every description, mercilessly
sacrificed. Notwithstanding this, however, in the time of the
Roman power, they once infested the Balearic islands to such an
extent, that the inhabitants were obliged to implore the
assistance of a military force from Augustus to exterminate
them.

RAGOUT OF RABBIT OR HARE.

982. INGREDIENTS.--1 rabbit, 3 teaspoonfuls of flour, 3 sliced onions, 2 oz. of butter, a few thin slices of bacon, pepper and salt to taste, 2 slices of lemon, 1 bay-leaf, 1 glass of port wine.

_Mode_.--Slice the onions, and put them into a stewpan with the flour and butter; place the pan near the fire, stir well as the butter melts, till the onions become a rich brown colour, and add, by degrees, a little water or gravy till the mixture is of the consistency of cream. Cut some thin slices of bacon; lay in these with the rabbit, cut into neat joints; add a seasoning of pepper and salt, the lemon and bay-leaf, and let the whole simmer until tender. Pour in the port wine, give one boil, and serve.

_Time_.--About 1/2 hour to simmer the rabbit.

_Average cost_, from 1s. to 1s. 6d. each. _Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ from September to February.

THE RABBIT-HOUSE.--Rabbit-keeping is generally practised by a
few individuals in almost every town, and by a few in almost
every part of the country. Forty years ago, there were in the
metropolis one or two considerable feeders, who, according to
report, kept from 1,600 to 2,000 breeding does. These large
establishments, however, have ceased to exist, and London
receives the supply of tame as well as wild rabbits chiefly from
the country. Where they are kept, however, the rabbit-house
should be placed upon a dry foundation, and be well ventilated.
Exposure to rain, whether externally or internally, is fatal to
rabbits, which, like sheep, are liable to the rot, springing
from the same causes. Thorough ventilation and good air are
indispensable where many rabbits are kept, or they will neither
prosper nor remain healthy for any length of time. A thorough
draught or passage for the air is, therefore, absolutely
necessary, and should be so contrived as to be checked in cold
or wet weather by the closing or shutting of opposite doors or
windows.

ROAST OR BAKED RABBIT.

983. INGREDIENTS.--1 rabbit, forcemeat No. 417, buttered paper, sausage-meat.

_Mode_.--Empty, skin, and thoroughly wash the rabbit; wipe it dry, line the inside with sausage-meat and forcemeat made by recipe No. 417, and to which has been added the minced liver. Sew the stuffing inside, skewer back the head between the shoulders, cut off the fore-joints of the shoulders and legs, bring: them close to the body, and secure them by means of a skewer. Wrap the rabbit in buttered paper, and put it down to a bright clear fire; keep it well basted, and a few minutes before it is done remove the paper, flour and froth it, and let it acquire a nice brown colour. Take out the skewers, and serve with brown gravy and red-currant jelly. To bake the rabbit, proceed in the same manner as above; in a good oven, it will take about the same time as roasting.

_Time_.--A young rabbit, 35 minutes; a large one, about 3/4 hour.

_Average cost_, from 1s. to 1s. 6d. each. _Sufficient_ for 4 persons.

_Seasonable_ from September to February.

THE HUTCH.--Hutches are generally placed one above another to
the height required by the number of rabbits and the extent of
the room. Where a large stock is kept, to make the most of room,
the hutches may be placed in rows, with a sufficient interval
between for feeding and cleaning, instead of being, in the usual
way, joined to the wall. It is preferable to rest the hutches
upon stands, about a foot above the ground, for the convenience
of cleaning under them. Each of the hutches intended for
breeding should have two rooms,--a feeding and a bed-room. Those
are single for the use of the weaned rabbits, or for the bucks,
which are always kept separate. The floors should be planed
smooth, that wet may run off, and a common hoe, with a short
handle, and a short broom, are most convenient implements for
cleaning these houses.

STEWED RABBIT.

984. INGREDIENTS.--1 rabbit, 2 large onions, 6 cloves, 1 small teaspoonful of chopped lemon-peel, a few forcemeat balls, thickening of butter and flour, 1 large tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup.

_Mode_.--Cut the rabbit into small joints; put them into a stewpan, add the onions sliced, the cloves, and minced lemon-peel. Pour in sufficient water to cover the meat, and, when the rabbit is nearly done, drop in a few forcemeat balls, to which has been added the liver, finely chopped. Thicken the gravy with flour and butter, put in the ketchup, give one boil, and serve.

_Time_.--Rather more than 1/2 hour. _Average cost_, 1s. to 1s. 6d each.

_Sufficient_ for 4 or 5 persons.

_Seasonable_ from September to February.