472 THE FARMER'S AND 



when young. Fresh killed, the feet are pliable; stiff 

 when too long kept. Geese are called green while they 

 are only two or three months old. 



Ducks. Choose them with supple feet, and hard plump 

 breasts. Tame ducks have yellow feet, wild ones red. 



Pigeons are very indifferent food when they are too 

 long kept. Suppleness of the feet show them to be young ; 

 the state of the flesh is flaccid when they are getting bad 

 from keeping. Tame pigeons are larger than the wild. 



Hares and rabbits, when old, have the haunches thick, 

 the ears dry and tough, and the claws dry and rugged. 

 A young hare has claws smooth and sharp, ears that easi- 

 ly tear, and a narrow cleft in the lip. A leveret is dis- 

 tinguished from a hare by a knob or small bone near the 

 foot. 



Partridges, when young, have yellow legs and dark- 

 colored bills. Old partridges are very indifferent eat- 

 ing. 



Woodcocks and snipes, when old, have the feet thick 

 and hard ; when these are soft and tender, they are both 

 young and fresh killed. When their bills become moist, 

 and their throats muddy, they have been too long killed. 



Turbot, and all flat white fish, are rigid and firm when 

 fresh ; the under side should be of a rich cream color. 

 When out of season, or too long kept, this becomes a bluish 

 white, and the flesh soft and flaccid. A clear bright eye 

 in fish is also a mark of being fresh and good. 



Cod is known to be fresh by the rigidity of the muscles 

 (or flesh,) the redness of the gills, and clearness of the 

 eyes. Crimping much improves this fish. 



Salmon. The flavor and excellence of this fish depends 

 upon its freshness, and the shortness of the time since it 

 was caught; f->r no method can completely preserve the 

 delicate flavor it has. when just taken out of the waler. 

 A great deal of what is brought to London has been packed 



