The best terrapin are the "Diamond Back," from Chesapeake Bay. Very good ones are taken from Long Island waters and along the seacoast. The season for eating them is from December to April.

How To Prepare Terrapin

Drop the live terrapin into boiling hot water; let them remain for twenty minutes; remove the skin from the head and feet by rubbing with a cloth; wash in several waters; then put into fresh boiling water; cook until tender. This is shown by pressing the feet between the fingers. If they are not tender in an hour's cooking they probably are not good; the meat will be stringy and tough. Remove as soon as tender. When cold cut off the nails, remove the shells, very carefully take the gall sacks from the liver (if the sacks be broken, so the liquid touches the liver or meat, it will give a very disagreeable, bitter taste). Remove the entrails, lights, heart, head, tail and white muscles; separate the pieces from the joints, divide the meat in pieces an inch and a half long. Do not break the bones. Place the meat, terrapin eggs and liver in a stew pan, cover with boiling water and boil until the meat is ready to drop from the bones.

Chicken Terrapin

To be cooked on the chafing dish or over hot water. Cut one cold chicken and one parboiled sweetbread quite fine; make one cup of cream sauce by using two tablespoonfuls of butter melted, adding to it two of flour, one cup of thin cream; season with salt and pepper, then put in the meat; when heated, add the yolks of two beaten eggs; cook five minutes, then add a wine glass of sherry or madeira. Serve.

Mock Terrapin

2 ducks.

1 pound calf's liver. 1 onion.

3 stalks celery.

2 cloves.

1 tablespoonful salt. 6 peppercorns. Sprig of parsley.

Clean the ducks and put them on to cook in boiling water with the liver and seasonings; cook slowly until tender; remove from the kettle when cold. Cut ducks and liver in dice, mash the hard-boiled yolks of six eggs to a smooth paste, add gradually a cup of thick cream, melt three tablespoonfuls of butter in a sauce pan, add two tablespoonfuls of flour, one-half cup of milk, stir until smooth, gradually stir in the egg yolks and cream, stir constantly until it reaches the boiling point, season with salt and pepper, then add the meat, heat and serve.

Stewed Terrapin

Mash the yolks of six hard-boiled eggs to a paste; mix them with one-fourth cup of butter; stir this into two cups of hot cream; cook in double boiler; stir until smooth; season with salt, paprica and a dash of nutmeg; add one quart of the cooked terrapin and cook for fifteen minutes. Just before serving add two tablespoonfuls of sherry. Serve in very hot soup plates.

Terrapin A La Newburg

Put in a double boiler or chafing dish one quart of terrapin, one cup of cream. When it is well heated through add to it the well-beaten yolks of four eggs, mixed with one cup of cream; stir until it thickens; season with salt, pepper, paprica and two table-spoonfuls madeira or sherry just before serving.