four hours in cloths soaked in cold salt and water, frequently changed. For the same purpose the loose fat is laid first in warm salt and water, afterwards in milk and water for two or three hours. The Essex mode is to dust with flour, both inside and out, any fowls that have to travel far, or hang many days in the market.

Capons would properly belong to this part of our subject, but we have purposely avoided giving any description of their manufacture; not so much because of the cruelty of the operation-for we are constantly inflicting equal pain on animals in cases which are really necessary, which pain, however, is soon forgotten-but because it is, in the first place, an unnecessary refinement, and, in the second place, the torture is not forgotten, but the creature is converted into a miserable moping hypochondriac, whom it is mercy to kill and eat. To my own taste their flesh is insipid, flavourless, and fulsome, quite inferior to that of Fowls as we usually have them ; those who are dissatisfied with a fat Pullet, or a plump Cockerell, must surely want a little wholesome exercise of mind and body to restore a healthy appetite. Fasting, or hard work, even, might do no harm in such cases.

But Capons, in point of fact, are getting out of date, and taking rank with oxen roasted whole, and other middle-age barbarisms. They are now rarely to be had in London; and, when procurable, are very expensive, but not at all unfairly so, when it is remembered that two or three Chickens may have been sacrificed, before one Capon has been nursed into convalescence. I venture to predict that those who try their skill upon a brood of their own, not other people's Chickens, will not soon repeat the experiment. That they may be had in tolerable plenty in the South of France, and with difficulty in England, is sufficiently explained by the difference of climate alone. But, in whatever climate, they must be classed in the list of uncalled-for luxuries, of unnecessarily unnatural viands, such as diseased Gooseliver pies, fish crimped alive, or even those frightful and

portentous dishes recorded by Dr. Kitchener in "The Cook's Oracle." But if Capons must be made, any person of common humanity will procure the services of a practised adept in the art. A gentleman of fortune obtained an old man from Dorking to act as head keeper over a valuable collection of Poultry. "Daddy," as he was called was an expert caponizer; but he is gone to his grave without having communicated his secret of manipulation, and I suspect that the whole race of Dorking Daddies is dying out under similar circumstances. We will not disturb their bones, in search of the mystic formula. But one thing about Capons may be harmlessly resuscitated. As

the toad, ugly and venomous,

Wears yet a precious jewel in his head,

so the poor Capon, which, though ugly, is not half venomous enough, carries a valuable gem in the part which is usually antithetically opposed to the head. "Allectorius est lapis cristallo vel aquæ limpidæ similis. In jecore gallinacei reperitur si castratus fuerit, postquam tribus annis vixerit castratus. Nullus major est fabâ : postquam hic lapis in gallinaceo fuerit nunquam bibit." "The Allectorius is a stone like crystal or limpid water. It is found in the liver of a Capon at the end of three years. It is never larger than a bean: after this stone is formed in the Capon, he never drinks." The Ortus Sanitatis further informs us that ladies who wear the jewel Allectorius are sure to be pleasing in the eyes of their husbands.

Neither can there be any harm in giving directions, "To dress Capons with Oyster Sauce. The Capon must be larded, i. e., the Fore and Hind-part covered with a thin Slice of Bacon, and over it a buttered Paper; then it is put to roast; the Oysters must be fried with the Dripping of the Capon, and seasoned while frying, with Mushrooms, an Onion, and a small bundle of fine Herbs: When they are well fried, they are put in the Body of

the Capon, the Bundle of Herbs excepted, before it is quite done."

Aldrovandi tells us that in Capons, which were more the fashion in his days than they are now, the hackle, tail-feathers, and spurs, grow to a much greater length than in Cocks.

But whichever way of fatting and dressing Fowls is adopted, it will be as well to beware of the Chinese mode of preparing them for market, although it has had its followers even in this country.

"The method of buying provisions in China being by weight, the tricks the Chinese made use of to augment the weight of what they sold to the Centurion (Commodore Anson's ship) were almost incredible. One time a large quantity of Fowls and Ducks being bought for the ship's store, the greatest part of them presently died. This spread a general alarm on board, it being apprehended that they had been killed by poison; but, on examination, it appeared that it was only owing to their being crammed with stones and gravel to increase their weight, the quantity thus forced into most of the Ducks being found to amount to ten ounces in each. The hogs, too, which we bought ready killed of the Chinese Butchers, had water injected into them for the same purpose; so that a carcass, hung up all night that the water might drain from it, had lost above a stone of its weight. And when, to avoid this cheat, the hogs were bought alive, it was discovered that the Chinese gave them salt to increase their thirst, and having thus excited them to drink great quantities of water, they then took measures to prevent them from discharging it, and sold the tortured animal in this inflated state."

Our indignation rises as we read; but before it boil over on the heads of pagans and infidels, let us remember that we, professing a religion of love and mercy, are guilty of a practice equally cruel, but more stupid, because our barbarity deceives nobody, nor is the animal relieved of its sufferings by death. Who has not seen our miserable

milch-cows staggering to a cattle-market, with their udders distended to the utmost limit that they are capable of bearing, looking piteously at the hungry calf by their side, which is muzzled with a basket, or simply with whipcord? Everybody that goes to buy a cow at a public fair or market, knows that she has not been milked for twenty-four hours, or for three or four days, according as her udder is capable of distention: no wonder that when she is at last relieved, she can scarcely bear the operation, flinches at the first touch, is restive, and, perhaps, has the garget soon, and is good for little ever afterwards. The Chinese, however, have a long-sighted cunning in their proceedings, of which I do not think that even we can yet be justly accused.

"When the Commodore first put to sea from Macao, they practised an artifice of another kind; for, as the Chinese never scruple eating any food that dies of itself, they contrived, by some secret practices, that the great part of his live sea-store should die in a short time after it was put on board, hoping to make a second profit of the dead carcasses which they expected would be thrown overboard; and two-thirds of the hogs dying before the Centurion was out of sight of land, many of the Chinese boats followed her, only to pick up the carrion. These instances may serve as a specimen of the manners of this celebrated nation, which is often recommended to the rest of the world as a pattern of all kinds of laudable qualities."—Anson's Voyage round the World.

"But to return," says the good Chaplain who wrote the narrative,- -a hint we will now take.

There are a few cases, in which Fowls are kept under peculiar circumstances, or for certain objects, that demand some special notice. One is where parties, with plenty of room and range, choose to have several different varieties, and yet wish to preserve the breeds pure and distinct, to some extent at least, without the trouble of keeping the birds in ward all the year round. A frequent mode is to billet various families of Cocks and Hens

amongst the cottagers in one's own neighbourhood. Those labourers, and their wives, who are fond of Fowls, will generally contrive to have some barn-door mongrels or other, and may therefore just as well be supplied with a distinct and valuable breed. A person living in the country, in easy circumstances, is not likely to cultivate the Poultry fancy for the sake of the few shillings he may make by it at the end of the year; and, therefore, may be supposed willing to rejoice the heart of a poorer neighbour, by the gift of a Cockerell and two or three Pullets. By these means he can secure the continuation of any choice and favourite variety, besides attaining the higher object of strengthening those friendly feelings, which ought to be cultivated as far as possible between the rich and the poor.

In addition to this best plan, the same object may be attained by secluding the Fowls in question, when a sitting or two of eggs are particularly required, in some light airy outhouse, feeding them well, and taking the precaution to reject the first two or three eggs. At other seasons of the year they may be left together. They will become acquainted with each other, find their own level, form their particular friendships, and cease to quarrel much. The contrast of their various size, shape, and colour, is lively and amusing on a sunny day. It is also curious to watch what odd and unexpected articles are now and then produced by this chance-medley of breeding. The Cocks soon learn a discreet course of behaviour, both towards each other, and towards the Hens; and there are seldom more addled eggs than would result from cold or accident.

Those, on the contrary, who only want to keep a few Hens for the sake of the fresh-laid eggs required by some invalid wife, or child, or parent, may perhaps derive assistance from the following system of management, which has been kindly communicated to me by Mr. Leonard Barber :-" There is one thing I think necessary to impress upon those who keep Fowls in a confined