MU. W. 11. UlUWELL ON SOMK OUMOLETK IHSllES. 
5'J 1 
curlew, bustard, bittern, licroii, swan, wild goose, mallard, widgeon, 
teal, popeler (shoveller), coot, water ben, brant, woodcock, spowe 
(whiinbrel), stint, redshank, snipe, knot, dotterel, sea dotterel, seapye, 
blackbird, pigeon, stock dove, and sparrow. 
To speak more particularly of tbo wild birds which were brought 
to table in England in the middle ages, I may mention first the 
crane. This bird was a favourite dish with William the Conqueror, 
who on one occixsion was so enraged with his dapiler, William Fit/, 
f Jsborne, for serving a half-roasted crane that he struck at him. 
The instructions given for serving a crane in the ‘ I>oke of 
Kervyngc, emprynted by Wynkyn do Worde at London, in Flete 
Streto, at the >Syngo of the Sonne, Ibid,’ and reprinted by the Early 
English Text .Society, are as follows: “Take a crane ami unfold 
his logges and cut off his wynges 1)y the joynte.s, then take up 
his wynges and his legges and sauce him with poudres of ginger, 
mustarde, vynegre, and saltc.” This was spoken of as displaying 
a crane. Our ancestors were careful to apply a different term 
to the carving of different birds, as — wynge that partridge, alayc 
that pheasant, mynce that plover, thyo that woodcock. 
The heron, calleil also hernshaw and heronshaw, from the French 
henincran, was considered lighter of digestion than the crane, and 
in days when hawking at herons was con.sidered “a marvellous and 
delectable pastime,” was often brought to table. 1 >ismoml>er, was 
the term applied to the heron and egret, which birds were eaten 
with the same condiments as the crane. 
!Mr. Harting mentions the appearance of the heron at table at a 
feast given in the Hall of the Stationers’ Company in 1812, for 
which there Averc provided six hernshaws and twelve godwits. 
.Sir Thomas llrowne speaks of “young herons being esteemed a 
festival dish and much desired by some palates,’’ but of godwits he 
says, “ accounted the daintiest dish in England, and 1 think, for 
the bigness, of the biggest price.” 
The bittern, or betowrc, had “no sauce but salte.” He was 
unjointed, and his flesh was said to resemble that of the leveret in 
colour and taste with some flavour of the wild-fowl. 
The curlew and whiinbrel, called also the “ brewe,” or half curlew, 
were unlaced, Avhich term was also applied to the carving of the 
coney. 
Knots, Sir Thomas Erowne informs us, “ being taken with nets 
