Snipe Pudding a L'Epicurien

Pluck, singe, and divide six fresh snipes in halves; remove the gizzards, and reserve the trail for use hereafter; season the snipes with cayenne and lemon-juice, and a sprinkle of salt, and set them aside until wanted. Next, slice up a Portugal onion, and fry it with a bit of butter of a light colour; throw in a good tablespoonful of flour, chopped mushrooms, parsley, a suspicion of garlic on the point of a knife, grated nutmeg, and a pinch of aromatic herbs, No. 671; moisten with half a pint of wine; stir the whole over the fire to boil for about ten minutes, then add the trail, and rub this through a tammy; meanwhile, a pudding-basin should be lined with a thin crust of suet-paste, the snipes and sauce, and also some scollops of truffles arranged neatly therein; cover in with paste; steam for an hour and a half; turn it out with care, and serve.