Under this head we place chickens, turkeys, guinea-fowls, pea-fowls, geese, ducks, pigeons, pheasants, prairie chickens, quail, woodcock, snipe, swans, and other such birds. The chickens, turkeys, quail, guineas, and pheasants come under the order of the Gallinaceae, or comb bearers. These birds have much white meat in their make up. Pigeons belong to the order Columbidae, or doves. Ducks, geese, and swans belong to the order Natatores, or swimmers. Their flesh is rather dark and juicy. Chickens are most used as food. The rooster is not good eating after the first year.

A caponized cockerel is delicious, and if truffled he is a revelation in the gastronomic art. An old hen is better than an old rooster. A poulard, or spayed pullet, is not equal in flavor or desirability as an eating fowl to the caponized cockerel Roasted fowls of proper age are probably most digestible. A broiled chick is another desirable way of serving. Fried chicken is very rich. Chicken, stewed or fricassee, is a desirable way of cooking the bird if full grown.

We hear much of red meats and white meats. There is, as has been said before, no great difference between them, after all, in strength, as measured by their nitrogen. Roasted chicken has about 13.7 per cent. and sirloin steak has only 16.5. Rump steak is no stronger than chicken. In fat sirloin steak is 16.1 per cent. and chicken 12.3. See how little difference in the strength of these and then think how often you hear people say their doctor has forbidden red meats, but white meats they can eat to satisfaction. Their doctors are giving them bad advice, or at least unscientific advice, and they should know better.

The guinea-fowl is a fine bird, and perhaps is stronger food than chicken, for it approaches near the true game bird, and as a rule all game is high up in proteids. Squab guineas are delicious eating. The same may be said of the pea-fowl. We rarely hear of the pea-fowl as a table delicacy, but a young bird roasted is equal to turkey. The true pheasant is an Asiatic bird, and we see them in market from England now and then. Our prairie chicken is a better bird, and so is our ruffed grouse of New England, called in the Middle States the pheasant. It is really the partridge, and the Middle States partridge is more properly the quail. These birds all furnish strong food, and under no conditions are low flesh diet. Squabs or pigeons four weeks old come under the same head as to food.

Geese and ducks, but particularly geese, are high up in fat and are strong, rather indigestible, food. In proteids they are about the same as chicken. The cygnet, or young swan, is probably not so rich as the matured goose. The turkey is very rich and strong food. He runs 16.1 per cent. proteids and 18.4 fat. His fuel value per pound is 1060 calories, as against 305 calories for broiled chicken, and 765 calories for roasted fowl. Goose runs 1475 calories fuel value per pound. Goose is cheap food for one who can digest it Age, variety, and the method of feeding have much to do with the flavor and even the food value of our domestic poultry.

The French probably excel in getting toothsome birds from forced feeding. The foie gras, the diseased fatty liver of the over-stuffed, over-confined goose, is a not-to-be-desired luxury, a result of unnatural environment. It is too rich for the human stomach.

To give the best food value poultry should be fattened naturally, not absolutely confined and crammed, as practised more in Europe than in this country, but allowed a little exercise, but not total liberty. As to marketing poultry drawn or undrawn, experiments show that the drawn keep better, and their flavor is not spoiled, as is the undrawn, by fermentation of the retained intestinal contents, etc. Cold-storage poultry is all right if put in storage in absolutely first-class condition. After it has been removed once, it should be cooked and eaten within twenty-four hours. It is apt to turn very soon if not used thus, and would then be improper food for man. It is a question with me if the remarkably great increase in appendicitis and such diseases has not been influenced in a great measure by our changed food supply, the eating of unsound cold-storage stuff, unsound canned vegetables, etc. I have but little doubt that this is a fact. I had a long hospital experience in my younger days, and appendicitis was undoubtedly a rare disease. It did not go unrecognized; it was rare, very rare. In any large general hospital to-day, it is unusual for a week to go by without an operation for appendicitis. Most cases are probably of bacterial origin, and the bacterial growth is probably fertilized by the changed food supply of man at the present day. Canned stuff or cold storage foods are now half our living, and the facility of transportation invites running about, and thus we are constantly changing our methods of eating and drinking. Probably saprogenic bacteria or putrefactive bacteria are much more common in our alimentary canals, and ptomaines and toxalbumins are more often found than in the old times, and man suffers accordingly.

To sum up poultry diet: As purchased in the market, the strongest food, estimating it by its pro-teids or tissue-building elements, is obtained in the guinea hen and old pigeon; in strength next comes the turkey, next the ordinary chicken, next the capon, and after it the broiler, and then the squab pigeon, then the duck, then the goose, then the duckling. In game the quail is about the strongest food in proteids and fat, then the ruffed grouse and prairie chicken, and then the imported pheasants.

While on this subject of the relative strength of food stuffs of this kind in diet let us for a moment recur to the general flesh products. Smoked goose breast is very strong in proteids and fat. Potted chicken has more proteids and less fat than potted turkey. Canned boned chicken is very strong food, and so is canned turkey. Foie gras, the French luxury, is only fairly high in proteids, but very high in fat, some carbohydrates, with a very high fuel value per pound.

Now, as to some of the other flesh foods, so we may know what we are eating and can calculate as to the effect on our systems by the food we take. Sirloin beefsteak is stronger than the same amount of the coarser cuts of beef, but it has less fat and more waste parts. Lamb chops are nearly as strong as sirloin steak, but have more fat. Leg of mutton is not as strong food as sirloin steak or lamb or mutton chops and has less fat than either. Pork chops and roasted fresh pork are not as strong as sirloin steak or mutton, but carry much more fat. Salt pork is weaker, but very much fatter food than fresh pork. Fish we will speak of farther on. Smoked ham is not so strong, but on the average quite fat. The fibre is the secret of the goodness of ham. The breeding of the pig and the care and the feeding make the fibre. This is illustrated in the Westphalia and the Smithfield (Virginia) hams. Corned beef is only fairly strong but quite fat. Breast of veal fairly strong and only fairly fat. Veal cutlet is very strong, yet low in fat. Pork sausage, fresh, is fairly strong, very fat and difficult of digestion to the average man.. Bologna is quite strong and fairly fat. It contains more or less beef. In fact, pork sausage contains more or less beef as made by the large factories. The select little sausages contain some liver, which adds to their flavor. Beef soup is a strong soup. Consomme and such are more flavorings and appetizers than food. A few table-spoonfuls are a proper prelude to a good dinner, as before noted.