Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-19

complete
failure. In Washington 1 employ three ranges.
have taken two birds of exactly the same
size and weight and placed them on diff
ferent stoves and in fifteen minutes one ft
for the table while the other did not reach that
condition until five minutes later. and on the
same stove have had still wider results the same
night where the ducks differed in size. Prac-
tice only makes perfect. and you know that the
duck has been properly prepared when blood
follows the knife freely after II has been placed
In the breast in carving. The fowl should be
dexterously cut into only two pieces from either
side of the breast bone ana the rest of the car
cass after the internal juice has been secured
Is sent from the table. OF course there is no
accounting for tastes. and many people will
cover this delicious morsel with great quantl-
ties OF cnrrant jelly, but really think that is
sacrilegious, for the flesh of the duck without
any additions whatever, when il is properly
cooked, furnishes a morsel which lifts the
properly constituted man into the seventh
heaven OF delight. There is another thing not
to be forgotten. the waiter who brings the bird
from the range to the table should have ehe
winged feet Of Mercury.
THE RED-HEAD AND THE cANvAs-BAcK.
Naturally people will ask why if the red
head is 80 difficult TO distinguish from the
canvas-back except by the bill the latter
should be so greatly preferred to the former.
Well, as have said before, the red-head falls
into vicious ways and when he cannot get the
wild celery for food will 60 fishing aud the
canvas-back will not. But even when they
feed upon the same food the red-head is a
smaller fowl, and of course does not present
the charming thickness of breast which dis
tinguisbes his more beautifully plumaged
brother. But bear in mind that even q red
head is not to be despised. and in fact there
are times late in the season when he is often
preferable to the canvas-back. In fact, at all
times big, fat red-head is a much more
toothsome morsel than poor canvas-bsck.
The great scarcity Of the royal bird am de-
scribing presents a very serious problem for
those who would grieve over its extinction.
Year after year it becomes much more difficult
to obtain. Those who grumble at the high
price charged for them In restaurants have
little idea of the trouble and cost of procuring
them. / have never had hardihood enough to
charge more than "a for a canvas back dack
and yet last season / frequently paid 81 pair
for them to the professional gunners at Havre
de Grace. The state of Maryland has fur
nished the fowls all manner Of legal protec-
ton, but year after year l am sorry
to say that they are less and less
in number. 1t is my personal opinion that this
decrease Is owing to the greatly increasing ex-
portation to England The bon vivants of the
London clubs have found that in the canvas
back we have fowl that excels their fondest
dreams and they are willing TO pay enormous
prices to have it grace their tables. suppose
this is an evilat least look at it in that light
that cannot be checked, but certainly would
lay up a serious grievance against the British
people II they were even remotely responsible
for the extinction of the noblest bird that ever
few.
THE NATIONAL BIRD.
Ispeak strongly about this fowl, as will any
man with a palate and who has eaten 1t under
proper conditions, and l am seriously of the
belief that this country would do a wise and
patriotic thing il it would remove the bald
headed eagle from his present pinnacle of
greatness and install the canvas-back duck
as the national bird. Not only is the eagle
Northumberland that don't particularly OBJ
ject to for / am inclined that way myself-but
he is a craven, thievIng, foul piece of carrion.
half dozen little English sparrows pecking
| about his head will put him to flight. He pre-
fers barn yard thefts to pursuit of food in his
native wilds, and he is not confined in his Jour-
neyings to North America alone. Why he was
ever selected as the bird of freedom is some
| thing / could never understand. How much
better fitted is the canvas-back duck to be the
aviary deity Of this country He is not
only the noblest and best of the fowls
of the air, but of the water as well
The male bird cannot be surpassed in beauty
by any feathered dandy that ever rufled plum.
| age. No bird has a nobler or more graceful
| carriage. Its tastes are refined, and apart from
| Its stupidity-which after all shouldn't bar /,
| from a contest as a representative of an,
branch of the human race-its general conduc
| is beyond criticism. The man who has no
| tasted Its partially cooked flesh has not We
filed the measure of lfe's joys. Above ant
| beyond all this 1t is true North American, fo
the benighted inhabitants of other and olde
| lands never put teeth In its succulent flesh IN
| less they wander this way or its dead bod,
is transported to them. It appears to me tina
these arguments in its behalf. as the natiopa
bird are strong ones and, whether or not tn
| eagle continues in its present position as
\ ,fatix ~
ship the canvas-back as the feathered king O
| America. JOHN CHAMBERIrN