504 LEWIS'S AMERICAN SPORTSMAN. 



TO COOK RAIL AND REED-BIRDS. 



Both these birds are best plainly roasted and basted with a trifle 

 of butter, and served up on toast. Some of our friends speak in 

 raptures of broiled rail. We cannot say that we admire them 

 particularly when cooked in this way. Rail are a very juicy, 

 tender bird, and require no larding; when roasted on the spit, 

 enveloped in greased paper, they are very good. They should 

 never be stuffed ; they require about fifteen minutes to cook before 

 a brisk fire. They are better eaten fresh, and never improve by 

 keeping ; in fact, they are generally shot during the warm weather, 

 and when nothing short of an ice-house will preserve them longer 

 than a few hours. They spoil very soon, particularly after being 

 wet and pitched about in the bottom of the boat. 



Reed-birds are best when roasted au naturel on the spit before 

 a brisk fire. If enveloped in buttered paper, they cook more 

 nicely, and there is less waste of the fat. Ten minutes is sufficient 

 before a bright fire. 



We have eaten reed-birds stuffed with crumbs of bread, butter, 

 and a slight shade of herbs, and roasted in greased paper, which 

 are very palatable for a change. They are also good when nicely 

 broiled ; some persons prefer them in this way to all others. 



As to stuffing them with chopped oysters, or making them into 

 dumplings with a thin crust of dough, and boiling them, we have 

 nothing to say ; and when any of our friends venture a word of 

 commendation in favor of such abominable dishes, audio sed taceo. 



COOKING OTHER KINDS OF GAME. 



There are a great variety of other kinds of game-birds, known 

 as /en, shore, or beach birds, which require very nice management 

 to make them agreeable to an epicurean palate. 



When these birds are known to be sedgy, they should be cleaned 

 and rubbed with salt and corn-meal, and put to soak over night in 

 cool water slightly acidulated with strong vinegar. They should 

 then be stuffed with such herbs and spices as are best calculated to 



