Take four pigeons, and pick and clean them very nicely, Season
them with pepper and salt, and put inside of every one a large
piece of butter and the yolk of a hard-boiled egg. Have ready a
good paste, allowing a pound of butter to two pounds of sifted
flour. Roll it out rather thick, and line with it the bottom and
sides of a large deep dish. Put in the pigeons, and lay on the top
some bits of butter rolled in flour. Pour in nearly enough of
water to fill the dish. Cover the pie with a lid of paste rolled
out thick, and nicely notched, and ornamented with paste leaves
and flowers.
You may make a similar pie of pheasants, partridges, or grouse.