260 COOKERY OF THE PARTRIDGE 
Speaking under correction, I should imagine that the 
former was as indigenous at least asthe bird. Pud- 
dings—meat puddings—of all kinds are intensely 
English ; the benighted foreigner does not understand, 
and indeed shudders at them for the most part, and 
it is sad to have to confess that Englishmen them- 
selves appear to have lost their relish for them. 
There is a theory that partridge pudding was an in- 
vention of the South Saxons, and has or had its 
natural home in the region (very lately sophisticated 
and made ‘ residential ’) of Ashdown and St. Leonard’s 
Forests. Either because of this localisation, or because 
it is thought a waste, or because it is thought vulgar, 
receipts for it are very rare in the books. In about a 
hundred modern cookery-books which I possess, I 
have not come across more than one or two, the best 
of which is in Cassell’s large ‘ Dictionary of Cookery.’ 
It is true that an intelligent cook hardly requires one, 
for the pudding is made precisely after the fashion of 
any other meat pudding, with steak as a necessary, 
and mushrooms as a desirable, addition to the par- 
tridges. But the steak, wise men advise, should not 
be cut up in pieces, but laid as a thin foundation for 
the partridge to rest upon. The result is certainly 
excellent, as all meat puddings are for those who are 
vigorous enough to eat them—only much better than 
