from the carcass, by cutting through the tender ribs close to the breast, quite down to the tail. Then lay the back upwards, put your knife into the bone half-way from the neck to the rump, and on raising the lower end it will separate readily. Turn the rump from you, and very neatly take off the two sidesmen, and the whole will be done. As each part is taken off, it should be turned neatly on the dish: and care should be taken that what is left goes properly from table. The breast and wings are looked upon as the best parts; but the legs are most juicy, in young fowls. After all, more advantage will be gained by observing those who carve well, and a little practice, than by any written directions whatever.
A Pheasant.—The bird in the annex engraving is as trussed for the spit, with its head under one of its wings. When the skewers are taken out, and the bird served, the following is the way to carve it.
Fix your fork in the centre of the breast; slice it down in the line a, b; take off the leg on one side of the dotted line b, d; then cut off the wing on the same side in the line c, d. Separate the leg and wing on the other side, and then cut off the slices of breast you divided before. Be careful how you take off the wings; for if you should cut too near the neck, as at g, you will hit on the neck-bone, from which the wing must be separated. Cut off the merrythought in the line f, g, by passing the knife under it towards the neck. Cut the other parts as in a fowl. The breast, wings, and merrythought are the most esteemed; but the leg has a higher flavour.
Partridge.—The partridge here is represented as just
