Pat the hens dry. In a heavy skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot and in it brown the hens, turning them to brown as evenly as possible. Transfer hens to an ovenproof dish or roasting pan. Pour some ,not all, oil off the skillet and deglaze the skillet with the wine, scraping up all the brown bits. Arrange the hens skin side up in the roasting pan. Sprinkle hens with rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, add the bay leaf and the liquid from the skillet. Put the pan with the hens in a preheated 450F oven. Reduce heat to 375F and roast the hens for 15 minutes, basting once and adding a little water, if necessary, to keep 1/2 cup of liquid in the pan. Add the whole scallions and roast hens for 20 minutes more, basting them once.

Transfer hens and the scallions to a platter and keep warm. Discard bay leaf from the pan juices. Bring the pan juices to a boil and reduce until it is thickened slightly( about 50 per cent). Whisk in the butter and the lemon juice, season sauce with salt and pepper. Spoon the sauce over the birds and sprinkle the scallion rings over them. Serve at once.Serves 4 people.