Birmingham age-herald., 1894-07-13
RARE BIRD OF RARE FLAVOR.
A Gamy Tidbit That Gourmets Have Liked
 Since the Days of LucuIIus.


 Since the Days of LucuIIus.
 What the ricebird is to China, the reed bird too southern country, the paradise bird to the Australian natives, the ortolan or ortulan is to the gourmets of southern Europe--a feast of sacred memory or of hallowed expectation But the true orto- Ian is q rare dish in more senses than ono. Indeed it is by no means easy to procure it, apart from the home tables of the very rich, even in its habitats-southern Europe and Japan.
 And this rarity has persisted through the centuries since the festal days of an cient Rome, when Lucullus, Apecius and Crassus paid enormous sums in order that this dainty might adorn their boards. Be- tween ortplans' breasts and nightingales' tongues there was a constant race for gas tronomic favor, and tho ortolan generally flew in the lead by a full neck.
 The ortolan is very handsome bird, with fluty warble, usually heard at sun set and at sunrise. It has a small sharp bill, wings of moderate length and long ish tail, very acutely forked. The upper part of the head and neck is grayish green in hue, with duskier spots The throat, eye circle and a broad band from the bill downward are fine yellow The residue of tho upper parts is bay, inclin- ing to rcd, with the pecuiarity that each back feather is black in the middle. The tail yerges on black, and the extreme length of large malo is 611 inches. The female is smaller and fainter in color but still almost as much of q beauty
 Tho ortolan has occasionally been noted in tho south of England during soft sea- sons, but never in largo nocks, though it is 1,,Is (, ;t was abundant in the isle of Cyprus and was very numerous in southern Japan and the adjacent islands. Along the Meditcr- ranean coast it was remarked long ago by naturalists that this curious bird was veritable Zoroastrian, or sun worshiper, and would only feed when the god of day be- gan to ascend his throne of azure.
 Seizing on this odd fact in natural his tory, designing man for centuries has been playing n cruel trick on the innocent ortolan. The birds are shared in nets with the aid of decoy birds in early autumn, before they have attained full growth, and are put in a large opaque room. Every three hours sudden light is let into the darkness, and it's rays reveal to the birds a tempting spread of oats, millet and spiced breads The ortolans rcyel in this repast for quarter of an hour, and then darkness enshrouds them, and they fall asleep. A fortnight of this forced festivity suffices generally to render their flesh very fat and of keen, gamy and subtly delicious flavor.
 They are considered perfect when weigh ing about three ounces, and thus prepared they frequently are wholcsaled at over $1 apiece though in some seasons they have been sold in Paris as low as S7 dozen. At one period of history for several years the isle of Cypress was blessed with del uge of these toothsome warblers, and the natives put them up in casks with spiced vinegar, about $50 in cask, and an ex- port trade of 400 casks per annum result ed. Hence, including home consumption, it is probable that there was n yearly slaughter of these innocents to the enor- nous amount of at least 200 000.-St. Louis Dispatch.