Time.—About 1 hour. Average Cost, 3s. to 3s. 9d. Sufficient for 4 persons. Seasonable at any time.
The Barb Pigeon.—The name of this bird is probably a contraction of Barbary, since Shakespeare refers to it under that designation. The Barb somewhat resembles the Carrier pigeon in appearance. The head is broad and flat, the beak short and the wattle small. The chief characteristic of the Barb is the spongy, bright red, wheel-shaped wattle, standing out all round the eyes, which increases in size until the bird is three or four years old. The brilliancy of the colour of the eye wattles diminishes with age. The eyes of a well-bred Barb should be pearl-white, and its beak white.
The Rock Pigeon.—In its wild state the rock pigeon is found more abundantly on the rocky parts of the West of Scotland and the bold shores of the Western Isles than in any other parts of the British Isles. In these localities the pigeons congregate in great numbers, and flocks from different parts of the coast frequently meet on the feeding grounds, but when the time arrives for returning to rest each pigeon keeps to its own party. A very conspicuous trait of the rock pigeon is its love of home and its constancy in returning to it. The rock pigeon is the original progenitor of the numerous domestic varieties of the pigeon, and is used by the late Dr. Darwin in his Origin of Species and Animals under Domestication, to illustrate his theory of descent by natural selection.
The Pouter Pigeon.—This favourite pigeon is a tall and strong bird with white feathered legs, and is characterized by his great round inflated crop. The more common birds of this variety are the blues, buffs and whites, or an intermixture of these colours. The pouter is not a prolific breeder, is a bad nurse, and degenerates, if not repeatedly crossed and re-crossed with fresh stock, more rapidly than any other kind of pigeon. It is, however, a useful bird, being much attached to its home and strays but little, and thus induces more restless pigeons of other varieties to remain at home.
The Owl Pigeon.—Like the Turbit, the Owl pigeon has a remarkable tuft of feathers on the breast, resembling a frill or rosette, going partly round the neck; the size of the frill constitutes a point of excellence in the bird. Well-bred birds of the Owl type are rounded, broad and short from the eye to the tip of the beak, which should be short and thick, the eye prominent and the breast broad. The Owl pigeon is probably a native of the southern shores of the Mediterranean. There are several varieties of the owl pigeon, the Whiskered Owl, which has a very large frill, and is supposed to have come from China; in Germany it is called the Chinese Owl; the African Owl, with bare legs and destitute of a crest; and the Eastern Owl, imported from Turkey and Asia Minor.
1260.—SAVOURY DUCK.
See "Faggots."
1261.—SMOTHERED CHICKEN.
Ingredients.—A boiled fowl, No. 1220, white sauce, No. 222
Method.—Divide the hot cooked fowl into neat joints, place them on a hot dish, cover completely with sauce, then serve.
1262.—TURKEY, BAKED, À LA MILANAISE.
See "Italian Cookery."
1263.—TURKEY, BLANQUETTE OF. (Fr.—Blanquette de Dinde.)
Ingredients.—The remains of a cold turkey, ¾ of a pint of stock, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1 oz. of flour, 1 yolk of egg, 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, 1 small onion, 1 small blade of mace, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Method.—Cut the turkey into neat slices, and set these aside until wanted. Put the bones, trimmings, onion, mace and a little salt and pepper into a stewpan, cover with cold water, simmer gently for at least 1 hour, and strain. Heat the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, cook for a few minutes without browning, put in the stock, and stir
