98 BIRDS OP NORFOLK. 



portion ate difference in weight as in the case of the 

 pair killed at Somerton in a semi-wild state. Various 

 Royal and distinguished personages have from time 

 to time received presents of cygnets from St. Helen's 

 Swannery, amongst whom may be mentioned Queen 

 Victoria, the Pope, and the late Emperor of the French ; 

 and a remarkably fine bird, weighing twenty-eight 

 pounds, was sent to Sandringham, in 1873, as a present 

 to the Prince of Wales. 



Full grown cygnets at the " upping" are worth from 

 ten to twelve shillings, and owners entrusting their 

 birds to Mr. Simpson pay one guinea each for fatting. 

 If purchased the price of a fat cygnet, ready for table, 

 is two guineas. 



Each bird sent out from the swannery is accom- 

 panied with the following poetical recipe* for cooking 



the same : 



To KOAST A SWAN. 



Take three pounds of beef, beat fine in a mortar, 



Put it into the Swan that is, when you've caught her. 



Some pepper, salt, mace, some nutmeg, an onion, 



Will heighten the flavour in Gourmand's opinion. 



Then tie it up tight with a small piece of tape, 



That the gravy, and other things may not escape. 



A meal paste (rather stiff) should be laid on the breast, 



And some "whitey brown" paper should cover the rest. 



Fifteen minutes at least ere the Swan you take down. 



Pull the paste off the bird, that the breast may get brown. 



THE GRAVY. 



To a gravy of beef (good and strong) I opine 

 You'll be right if you add half a pint of port wine : 

 Pour this through the Swan yes, quite through the belly, 

 Then serve the whole up with some hot currant jelly. 

 N.B. The Swan must not be skinned. 



* I only recently ascertained that these lines, which are quoted 

 by Yarrell in his account of the Mute Swan, were written some forty 

 years ago by a relative of my own, the Rev. J. C. Matchett, whose 

 humorous rendering of the hitherto prosaic "instructions for 

 cooking," was adopted by the authorities. 



