Draw so soon as they come into your possession; rinse with soda and
water, then with pure cold water; wipe dry, and rub them lightly with
a mixture of fine salt and black pepper. If you must keep them some
time, put in the cavity of each fowl a piece of charcoal; hang them in
a cool, dark place, with a cloth thrown over them. Small birds, unless
there are too many of them, may be kept in a refrigerator after you
have drawn, washed, and wiped them.
The charcoal is an admirable preventive of decomposition.