Pick and wash half a dozen Pigeons, and lay them into a Stew-Pan, with a Pint or more of good Gravy, an Onion cut small, or three or four large Shalots, a little Bunch of sweet Herbs, some Pepper and Salt, a Pint of Mushrooms that have been well clean'd, and cut into small Pieces, and a little Mace; let these stew gently till they are tender, and add to them about half a Pint of White-Wine just before you take them off the Fire; then lay your Pigeons in your Dish, and brown your Sauce after 'tis discharged of the Bunch of sweet Herbs and the Spice, which should be tied in a little Linen Cloth; pour then your Sauce with the Mushrooms over the Pigeons, and strew the whole over with grated Bread, giving it a browning with a red-hot Iron; or the grated Bread may be omitted. Another Way of dressing Pigeons, from the same. Take young Pigeons and par-boil them, then chop some raw Bacon very small, with a little Parsley, a little sweet Marjoram, or sweet Basil, and a small Onion; season this with Salt, and Pepper, and fill the Bodys of the Pigeons with it. When this is done, stew the Pigeons in Gravy, or strong Broth, with an Onion stuck with Cloves, a little Verjuice and Salt; when they are enough, take them out of the Liquor, and dip them in Eggs that have been well beaten, and after that roll them in grated Bread, that they may be cover'd with it. Then make some Lard very hot, and fry them in it till they are brown, and serve them up with some of the Liquor they were stew'd in, and fry'd Parsley. In the beginning of this Month, as well as in _December_, the Eel is commonly laid up in the Mud, and we find them there in Clusters folded one over another, which I suppose is the manner of coupling; for in the beginning of _March_, or end of _February_, we see young ones as small as Threads on the edges of the Waters. I think it is no longer to be doubted, but that the Eel is viviparous; that is, it brings its young ones perfectly framed, and does not lay Spawn like other Fish: and the Resemblance the Eel bears to that Fish, which is call'd by the Fishermen the Coney-Fish, and is found at this time about the _Buoy in the Nore_ full of young ones, makes me the rather conclude the Eel brings forth its Young perfectly form'd. This Fish is not accounted wholesome at this time of the Year, nor fit for eating till they begin to run in _March_, therefore what I have to say relating to preparing Eels for the Table, will be set down in the Month of _March_. * * * * * FEBRUARY.