178 ANIMAL FOOD RESOURCES OP DIFFERENT NATIONS. . 



course of a month, will thus bag about 8,500 good-sized 

 birds, some of which are generally retained for home 

 consumption, the rest being exported. The brent goose 

 (Anas bernicla, Bernicla leucopsis, Bechst.), a winter visi- 

 tant, is a good bird for the table, the flesh being excellent 

 and free from fishy flavour. 



The grey duck of Australia {Anas superciliosa, Gmel.), 

 as an article of food, is in its prime during the autumn 

 and commencement of the winter ; but the quality of 

 the game differs according to the locality, those from 

 the lakes and rivers of the interior (Dr. BuUer tells us) 

 having a richer flavour as a rule than birds living in the 

 vicinity of the seashore, where the feed is coarser. 



Few birds are better flavoured than a fresh snipe 

 (Gallinago media), and they are most delicious eating. 

 " Snypes " were among the birds admitted to the Earl of 

 Northumberland's table ("Household," 1512); they were 

 then charged 3d. the dozen. 



The flesh of all the snipes is palatable and good, 

 including the GalUnago species, many of which come 

 from Ireland and Holland. Among these are the curlew 

 {Numenius arcuatus), common on our coasts, and nearly the 

 bulk of a chicken ; the jack snipe (GalUnago gallinula), also 

 called the judcock ; the pool snipe (Tetanus stagnatilUs) ; 

 the strand snipe (Tringa cinerea); the stint (Tringa 

 minutella), often sold for snipe when those birds are at a 

 high price ; and the blue- footed swordbill or European 

 avocet (Hecurvirostra avocetta, Lin.). The knot (Tringa 

 canutus) visits our shores in large numbers in autumn, 

 and the birds come to market mostly from Lincolnshire. 

 The flesh is considered inferior to others of the tribe. 

 The American snipe is GalUnago Wilsonii, and there is a 

 red-breasted snipe (Macrorhamphus griseus). 



The flesh of the Indian Jacana (Hydrophasianus 

 cJiirurgus) is said to be excellent. 



The moor-hen (Gallinula chloropm, Lin.), if killed in the 

 autumn, is very good eating. The flesh of the rail (Rallus 

 aquaticus is also palatable, that of the corn-crake or land 

 rail (Orfygometra crex, Crex pratensis, Bechs.) is very 



