ling off. The glass thus coated is a common looking-glass.
About two ounces of mercury are sufficient for covering three square
feet of glass.

PLOVERS. In purchasing plovers, choose those that feel hard at the vent,
which shows they are fat. In other respects, choose them by the same
marks as other fowl. When stale, the feet are harsh and dry. They will
keep a long time. There are three sorts of these birds, the grey, the
green, and the bastard plover, or lapwing. Green plovers are roasted in
the same way as snipes and woodcocks, without drawing, and are served on
toast. The grey ones may be roasted, or stewed with gravy, herbs, and
spice.

PLOVERS' EGGS. Boil them ten minutes, and serve them either hot or cold
on a napkin. These make a nice and fashionable dish.

PLUM CAKE. This is such a favourite article in most families, and is
made in so many different ways, that it will be necessary to give a
variety of receipts, in order that a selection may be made agreeably to
the taste of the reader, or the quality of the article to be
preferred.--For a good common plum cake, mix five ounces of butter in
three pounds of fine dry flour, and five ounces of the best moist sugar.
Add six ounces of currants, washed and dried, and some pimento finely
powdered. Put three spoonfuls of yeast into a pint of new milk warmed,
and mix it with the above into a light dough.--A cake of a better sort.
Mix thoroughly a quarter of a peck of fine flour well dried, with a
pound of dry and sifted loaf sugar, three pounds of currants washed and
very dry, half a pound of raisins stoned and chopped, a quarter of an
ounce of mace and cloves, twenty peppercorns, a grated nutmeg, the peel
of a lemon cut as fine as possible, and half a pound of almonds blanched
and beaten with orange-flower water. Melt two pounds of butter in a pint
and a quarter of cream, but not too hot; add a pint of sweet wine, a
glass of brandy, the whites and yolks of twelve eggs beaten apart, and
half a pint of good yeast. Strain this liquid by degrees into the dry
ingredients, beating them together a full hour; then butter the hoop or
pan, and bake it. When the batter is put into the pan, throw in plenty
of citron, lemon, and orange candy. If the cake is to be iced, take half
a pound of double refined sugar sifted, and put a little with the white
of an egg; beat it well, and by degrees pour in the remainder. It must
be whisked nearly an hour, with the addition of a little