138 ANIMAL FOOD EESOURCKS OF DIFFERENT NATIONS. 



The flesh o£ the stone-chat {Saxicola cenanthe) is rather 

 savoury, and that of the bristly -bearded mouse {Calonio- 

 philws hiarmicm) is palatable. 



Dr. Daubeny.in his "Lectures on Koman Husbandry," 

 says: — "The ancient Romans had large preserves, not 

 only of poultry and pigeons, but even of thrushes and 

 quails enclosed in pens which were called ' omithones,' 

 from which they could draw their supply for the table 

 at pleasure. We are told, indeed, of two sorts of orni- 

 thones, the one merely aiviaries stocked with birds for 

 the amusement of the proprietor j the other kind, con- 

 structed with a view to profit, which were often of vast ex- 

 tent, to supply the demands of the Roman market for such 

 articles of luxury. In the Sabine <;ountry particularly, 

 we read of extensive pens, filled with birds for the latter 

 purpose. For thrushes alone there were large rooms pro- 

 vided, each capable of holding several thousand birds. 

 As they were put in to be fattened, the place had only 

 just light enough to enable the birds to see their food, 

 but there was a good supply of fresh water accessible. 

 And I may remark that, whilst nothing is said by the 

 Roman writers about the fattening of oxen and sheep, 

 particular directions are given for fattening poultry and 

 other birds — a strong additional argument of the little 

 importance they attached to the larger animals as articles 

 of food." 



One of the most delicious birds is the Amexican rice- 

 bunting {BoKchonyx oryzivora, Lin.). 



This bird migrates over the continent of America, from 

 Labrador to Mexico, and over the great Antilles, appear- 

 ing in the southern extremity of the United States about 

 the end of March. Towards the middle and close of 

 August, they enter New York, and Pennsylvania on 

 their way to the south. There, along the shores of the 

 large rivers lined with floating fields of wild rice, they 

 And abundant subsistence, grow fat, and their fiesh 

 becomes little inferior in fiavour to that of the European 

 ortolan, on which account the reed, or rice-birds, as they 

 are then called, are shot in great numbers. When the 



