OF POULTRY. 
285 
they required a more substantial and nourishing food than 
mere grain, to enable them to go through the moult vigo- 
rously, and this could only be done by giving them a little 
animal food. 
In addition to the refuse of the kitchen, Aunt Jane used 
to contract with a butcher in the neighbouring town, to 
supply her twice or three times a week with a certain 
amount of offal from the slaughter-house. It did not 
signify wha^ it was, so long as it was animal substance, 
and healthy and sweet ; for fowls are perfectly carni- 
vorous, and will eat the flesh of anything, from a horse 
to a mouse. Not that I recommend horse-flesh, though 
I have seen people, both in London and the suburbs, 
feed their fowls with the flesh they had bought of dog's- 
meat men, out of their barrows. Aunt Jane did not 
do that, but fed them with livers, lights, clean-washed 
paunches, fat guts, or indeed any pieces the butcher might 
send, after slaughtering oxen, sheep, or pigs. The whole was 
boiled till perfectly tender, then cut up into small pieces, 
and placed with the liquor in wide dishes ; and when suffl- 
<;iently cool it was laid dovm for the fowls. This she did 
every other morning. At other meals she fed them with 
grain. They devoured the meat, and sucked the warm 
liquor with the utmost relish ; not drinking it as they do 
water, but kept their beaks in, and sucked as long as they 
oould hold their breath, and then at it again, till they had 
had their fill. This system she continued through the 
autumn. 
In the depth of winter she always gave them two warm 
meals a day. She had the same quantity of meat each 
week ; and, instead of giving them a full meal of it every 
other day, she divided it, and gave them half each day. 
That is to say, she had half the meat boiled tender, and 
after taking it out, and cutting it up small, she took one 
.half of the cut meat, and mixed it with equal portions of 
barley-meal, sharps, and boiled potatoes, sufficient for one 
meal ; then poured on some of the boiling liquor, till it 
became a thick pudding ; and when sufficiently cool she 
would let them have it for supper. In the morning the 
other half of the meat was made to boil ; then mixed with, 
barley-meal, potatoes, and sharps, as before, and that served 
