The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-13 00:00:00

and the prisoner saying it was ody what he had dorto
before.

The girl, re-called, said it was not true, and that her
mistress had cautioned her to be careful of the prisoner, as
he had been at the court before, and was a very wicked
man.

Dr. Tothill, surgeon to the C Divis'on of Police, having
been examined, the prisoner was committed for' trial.

LITERATURE.

Post-eke London Directory for 180. Kelly and
Company.
The London Directory has become one of the in-
dispensable requisites of the man of business, and
the edition for the coming year fully maintains the
reputation of its predecessors. It is greatly to the
credit of the enterprising proprietors, that not con-
tent with the established character and success of
their Directory, they are indefatigable in endea-
vouring to increase its utility and to improve and
enlarge it in every possible manner. One of
the chief additions in the new volume is
in the list of stockbrokers, where a dis-
tinguishing mark has been added to the names
of those gentlemen who are members of the Stock
Exchange. This will be useful to those who are
desirous of obtaining sound information respecting
the character and standing of the stockbrokers they
employ. The system of giving the old as well as
the new numbers of streets, where the numbering has
been altered by the Board of Works, has been con-
tinued, and will greatly facilitate reference to
those localities. The classification and ar-

rangement of the work are, as usual, ad-
mirable, and by its judicious division under
appropriate heads, the individual consulting it is
able to turn immediately to the part he wants, with-
out the wearisome search which might be antici-
pated from the size and variety of the contents of
the volume. The map of London is in all respects
worthy of it. It is clear and comprehensive, and
the distinction of the postal districts will be easily
understood. It is a most valuable auxiliary to the
London Directory, and while the book and the map
are alike indispensable to the Londoner, the tra-
veller who is perfectly unacquainted with the
metropolis, will, by their aid, be enabled readily to
.find his way to any individual or any locality ho
may require.

The Precocious Piggy. By the late Thomas Hood.
Illustrated by his Son. Griffith and Farran.
A most fascinating volume for very juvenile
readers, narrating the " Headlong Career and
Woful Ending of Precocious Piggy," in mirth-
moving strains. It is cleverly illustrated by Thos.
Hood the younger, who has represented his hero
hi every variety of costume, and with most comical
surroundings. He appears in ball dress, in the
costume of the Merry Monarch, in labourer's
country dress, in riding, driving, and gardening
toilet—all remarkable for the striking contrast
and variety of their colours. The little incidental
groups are very funny ; and in the last tableau we
catch a mournful glimpse of Piggy's ghost, in white
robes, with outstretched feet, hovering over the
deserted farmyard. Doubtless many little people
will laugh and cry over his career, and the Christ-
mas feast will be incomplete unless Piggy form a
part of it.

The Curiosities of Food. By P. Lund Simmonds,
F.R.G.S., F.S.S., author of " A Dictionary of
Trade Products," &c., &c. Bentley.
Epicures of the present day are not likely to be
particularly gratified by the literature provided for
their edification. Dr. Hassell's terrible revelations
were sufficient to disgust the fastidious reader with
most kinds of European dainties, but it remained
for Mr. Simmonds to show the startled traveller
what horrible compounds he may partake of under
the most innocent titles. Snakes, slugs, lizards,
arc among a few of the captivating delicacies that
offer themselves to the inventor of culinary novel-
ties. Considerable ingenuity is displayed in the
compilation of the volume, which is founded on a
lecture delivered by the author at several of the
metropolitan literary institutions. It was received
with favour, merited by the novelty of the subject
and the skill with which it was treated. Should
this volume meet with equal success, the author
promises us a similar treatise on the Curiosities of
Vegetable Food, which will be more agreeable, if
less astounding in its revelations. 'Ye can hardly
call it a pleasant work, but, as the author observes,
it proves the truth of the old adage, "one half the
world does not know how the other half lives," and
it certainly proves how many things are capable of
affording nourishment which we look upon with
contempt and disgust. We subjoin a few of the
most striking specimens :
"A kind of red ant is eaten fried, or with their driedfish,
and a worm, which in the lower provinces of Lur ugh is
found in the heart of a shrub, is considered such a delicacy,
that every month a great quantity is sent .to the capital to
to be served up at the table of the emperor, It is eaten
either fried or roasted.
"According to Sir John Bowring, the Chinese have no
prejudices whatever as regards food ; they eat anything and
everything from which they can derive nutrition. Dogs,
especially puppies, are habitually sold as food. In the
butchers shops large dogs skinned and hanging with their
viscera, may be seen by the side of pigs and goats. Even
to the flesh of monkies and snakes they have no objection.
"The sea slug is an aristocratic and costly delicacy,
which is never wanting, any more than the edible birds'-
nests, at a feast where honour is intended to be done to the
guests. These birds'-nests are worth twice their weight in
silver. They are glutinous compositions formed by a kind
of swallow, in vast clusters, found in Java, Sumatra, and
the rocky islets of the Indian Archipelago. Dried sharks'
fins and fish
.maws are also highly prized.
" One of the spider monkeys, the marimonda (Attics
bezebuth, Desm.) is termed aru by the Indians of the Rio
Guiana, and is a favourite article of food with the natives
of the borders of the Cassiquiare, the higher Orinoco, and
other rivers, and its boiled limbs are commonly to be seen
in their huts.
"The howling monkeys (*mks), which are of larger
size, and fatter than some of the other species, are in great
request with the Indians as food. Mr. Gosse states that
the flavour of their flesh is like that of kid. The Aturian
Indians, as well as those of Esmeralda, eat many kinds of
monkeys at certain seasons of the year, and especially the
couNio, or jacket monkey (Pythecia sagulati, Traill).
" Mr. Grant, in his History of Brazil, states that apes
and monkeys are esteemed good food by the natives.
" The negroes and natives of New Granada, according to
Bonnyeastle, also eat the monkey.
" To prepare this dish, the body is scalded in order to
remove the hair, and after this operation has been per-
formed, it has the exact appearance of a young dead child,
and is so disgusting, that no one, excepting those pressed
by hunger, could partake of the repast. It is not at :all
improbable that many savage nations who have been ac-
cused of canibalism, have been very unjustly charged with
it, for, according to Ulloa, the appearance of the monkey of
Panama, when ready to be cooked, is precisely that of a
human body.
" It is not only by the inhabitants of the Great Desert
that the locusts are hailed with joy. The Kafirs also give
them a hearty welcome, and make many a good meal upon
them too,—not only eating them in large quantities, but
making a sort of coffee-coloured soup of their eggs.
" Locusts are cooked in various ways—roasted, boiled,
and fried. They are also salted and smoked, and packed
away against a time of scarcity. It is said, they taste very
much like fish, and are particularly light, delicate, and
wholesome food. They are carried into many of the towns
of Africa by waggon-loads, as we bring poultry to market
"The large saubas (red-ants) and white ants are an oc-
casional luxury to the Indians of the Rio Negro ; and when
nothing else is to be had in the wet season, they eat largo
earth-worms, which, when the lands in which they live are
flooded, ascend trees, and take up their abode in the hollow
leaves of a species of Tillandsia, where they are often
found accumulated by thousands. Nor is it only hunger
that makes them cat these worms, for they sometimes boil
them with their fish to give it an extra relish.
" After the enumeration I have given you of food deli-
cacies, who shall* venture to determine what is good eating ?
Some Europeans chew tobacco, the liindoo takes to betel-
nut and lime, while the Patagonian finds contentment in a
bit of guano, and the Stynans grow fat and ruddy on
arsenic. English children delight in sweetmeats and sugar
candy, while tho:o of Africa prefer rock salt. A French-
man likes frogs and snails, and we eat eels, oysters, and
whelks. To the Esquimaux, train oil is your only delicacy.
The Russian luxuriates upon his hide or tallow ; the
Chinese upon rats, puppy dogs, and sharks' fins; the Kafir
upon elephant's foot and trunk, or lion steaks; while the
Pacific islander places cold missionary above every other
edible. Why then should we be surprised at men's feeding
upon rattlesnakes and monkeys, and pronoancing them
capital eating ?"

The Madrid journals of the 6th have arrived.
The Gazette contains a decree addressed to gover-
nors of provinces relative to the distribution and
examination of " tickets of residence," which
everybody is required to have under pain of impri-
sonment. The Gazette also contains a decision of
the Supreme Tribunal of War, fixing the order of
precedence to be observed by the different regi-
ments of the army. This decision has been ren-
dered necessary in consequence of a conflict about
precedency having arisen at Malaga Letween a
corps of infantry and one of artillery. The sale of
public property held in mortmain was going on
with great rapidity, and prices much higher than
were anticipated even by the most sanguine of the
advocates of the measure were being obtained;
lots, for example, put up at 2,000 reals, had fetched.
6,000 or 8,000. It is stated that the Minister of
Foreign Affairs had concluded with Belgium and
Portugal treaties for the protection
ngctioEuolfand and
literary
property, similar to those with
France.

BRITISH ORPHAN ASYLUM, CLAPHAM RISE.--
A zealous and energetic supporter of this valuable institu-
tion has volunteered to add 100 guineas to its fund, on the
condition that within six months nine others will contribute
the like amount. The same bet, evolent person has, more-
over, promised to " collect" 109 guineas, provided nine
other ladies or gentlemen will produce a similar result
within the same period, the object being to raise 2,000
gutneas, to be invested in Government securities for the
permanent benefit of the charity. It is to be hoped that
this benevolent proposition may meet with the desired re-
sponse, as the directors will then be enabled to appropriate
a large portion of the building, which is at present unoccu-
pied for the want of sufficient funds ; and all true friends of
charity will readily allow that their best sympathies could
nut possibly be enlisted iu favour of a wore praiseworthy
and doerywg come,