PHEASANTS
Pheasants may be broiled or roasted. As the meat is dry, they should be well rubbed with soft butter and dredged with flour. It is a good way, after putting on the salt and pepper, to dip the bird into melted butter, then dredge it with flour, then lay on soft butter and dredge a second time; or, when it is skewered and ready for the oven, it may be spread thickly over the breast with softened butter. Care must be taken that the very thick portion of the breast be cooked through, as pheasant should be well done, and from one half to three quarters of an hour will be necessary for this.
WOODCOCK
The woodcock is about the size of a partridge, with mottled dark brown and gray feathers, except on the breast, where they are a sort of light salmon brown. It has a long slender beak, somewhat like that of a snipe.
Prepare woodcock like squab, only do not cut off the head, as the brain is considered a dainty by epicures. Remove the skin from the head, and tie or skewer it back against the body. Use salt and pepper for seasoning, but neither flour nor butter, as the woodcock has dark, rich flesh. Broil from eight to ten minutes. Serve rare on toast.
REED-BIRDS
Reed-birds are to be prepared after the general rule for dressing birds. Although they are sometimes cooked whole, it is better to draw them. Split them down the back, remove the contents of the body, and after washing and wiping them, string three or four on a skewer, pulling it through their sides, so that they shall appear whole. Roast in a shallow pan in a hot oven, from eight to ten minutes; or, before roasting, wrap each one in a very thin slice of fat pork and pin it on with a skewer (wire).
Broiled. Prepare as for roasting, except peel off the skin, taking the feathers with it. Broil from two to four minutes. Serve on toast.
It is a good plan to skin all small birds.
The reed-bird is the bobolink of New England, the reed-bird of Pennsylvania, and the rice-bird of the Carolinas.