n season his plate to his own cheek.

Fried squirrels are excellent for a change, but are mostly spoiled by
poor cooks, who put tough old he's and tender young squirrels together,
treating all alike. To dress and cook them properly, chop off heads,
tails and feet with the hatchet; cut the skin on the back crosswise;
and, inserting the two middle fingers, pull the skin off in two parts,
(head and tail). Clean and cut them in halves, leaving two ribs on the
hindquarters. Put hind and fore quarters into the kettle and parboil
until tender. This will take about twenty minutes for young ones and
twice as long for the old.

When a sharpened sliver will pass easily through the flesh, take the
hindquarters from the kettle, drain and place them in the frying pan
with pork fat hissing hot. Fry to a light, rich brown. It is the only
proper way to cook squirrels. The forequarters are to be left in the
kettle for a stew.

It sometimes happens that pigeons are very plentiful and the camp is
tempted into over-shooting and over-cooking, until every one is
thoroughly sick of pigeons. This is all wrong. No party is, or can be,
justified in wanton slaughter, just because birds happen to be
plentiful; they will soon be scarce enough. Pigeons are hardly game,
and they are not a first-class bird; but a good deal may be got out of
them by the following method: Dress them, at the rate of two birds to
one man; save the giblets; place in the kettle and boil until the
sliver will easily pierce the breast; fork them out, cut the thick meat
from each side of the breast bone, roll slightly in flour and put the
pieces in the pan, frying them in the same way as directed for
squirrels. Put the remainder of the birds in the kettle for a stew.

Quail are good cooked in the same manner, but are better roasted or
broiled. To roast them, parboil for fifteen minutes, and in the
meantime cut a thin hardwood stick, eighteen inches long for each bird.
Sharpen the sticks neatly at both ends; impale the birds on one end and
thrust the sticks into the ground near the fire, leaning them so that
the heat will strike strongly and evenly. Hang a strip of pork between
the legs of each bird and turn frequently until they are a rich brown.
When the sharpened sliver will pass easily through the breast they are
done.

Woodcock are to be plucked, but not drawn. Suspend the bird in a
bright, clear heat, hang a ribbon of fat pork between the legs and
roast until well do