COOKER Y 263 



had trouble between him and the teal as to their 

 French relationship. At all the celebrated Parisian 

 restaurants rouge de riviere was a standing dish. 

 Many a time have I supped on one, after the theatre, 

 at the Maison Doree or the Cafe Anglais. For size 

 and delicacy I would have sworn it was our British 

 teal. But in sundry books on natural history I see 

 it stated that rouge de riviere is the sobriquet of the 

 shoveller, which in my experience is half as big again, 

 and I should be glad if someone would authoritatively 

 clear up the mystery. 



As to the pretty little teal, you are safe with him ; 

 he is the gern of the duck tribe and the jewel of the 

 spit. In couples the little darlings generally frequent 

 the sedgy pool or the lonely tarn. But when you see 

 a bunch of teal in the air, with any reasonable pro- 

 spect of stalking them, the sight is not only beautiful, 

 but delectable. Involuntarily you lick your lips if 

 you have the luck to blaze off both barrels. Of the 

 larger ducks, next to the mallard, one appreciates the 

 widgeon, and, mingling with the widgeon on sea lochs 

 and estuaries, are generally the pintails, not inaptly 

 called the sea-pheasant ; for of all the genuine sea-birds 

 they have most of the woodland savour. The sheldrake 

 is worse than useless for the table : the flesh is posi- 

 tively offensive ; but in Holland they find a peaceful 



