Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-24

EPICURrANrsM
From the Richmond rime..l

Man, whether civilized or savage, has an
instructive repugnancc 20 reptiles; and yet
the necessities Of life have led him TO sup
press this natural adherence so far as 10 APP
propriate the most loafhsome Of the race as
a means of sustenance. Indeed, the epicu-
rean taste for artificial Injuries has been
sufficient 10 overcome his innate disgust. 4,
The crocodile worshipped in one part Of
EGYPT, is eaten in another. The ancient
Appoionopolians were required by law TO
eat crocodiies, TO avenge the death of a
princess who fell a victim TO saurian appe-
lite. The elephantinians eat them from
choice, and modern Egyptians follow their
example, regardless of the risk Of perpe-
trating cannibalism at secondhand. The
flesh Of this reptile is variously compared
70 very bad veal-cntlet mutton with fishy
faint and something between pork and cod
fish, with the addition Of a musk favor.
Our own experience, acquired during a
campaign Of several months IN Florida,
enables us 70 speak more favorably Of the
flesh of the alligaforsi nhabiting the marshes,
swamps and lakes and everglades which,
with few knobs Of dry ground protruding
here and there, make up the State Of Flori-
da. A steak from the tail Of young alliga-
tor, which curiosity first induced Us TO taste,
we found not at all unsavory. In flavor and
appearance il was not unlike the chine Of a
young shoat. We repeated our experiment
on many occasions, after our curiosity was
fully satisfied. Both crocodile and alligator
eggs are held in high esteem. The natives
of Madagascar are partial TO The latter The
Mandingoes prefer crocodile eggs when the
young reptile within has attained TO the
length Of mans finger. Linaut was tempt
ed by his African friends TO partake Of a fri
caSsee Of crocodile eggs, but the combination
of rancid oil and musk proved too much for
an appetite not 10 the manner born. Ancient
physicians believed the flesh Of a crocodile
10 possess strong medicinal virtues, and used
10 prescribe it for their patients.
The iguand, with its scaly, black-spotted
green coat, is, in appearance, more repulsive
even than the crocodile; but, living chiefly
upon fruits, flowers and leaves, its flesh is as
white as that Of chicken, and equally pal
atable. The Florida gopher, a burrowing
tortoise, which, like the iguand of the Ba-
hamas, feeds on grass, &C., is equally deli
cate and digestible. The iguand is hunted
down with dogs trained for the purpose; his
mouth is sown. up, TO prevent his biting,
and he is then taken 10 market alive
many African tribes; and the flesh of the
gray lizard was once extensively used in
Europe for medicinal purposes. This spe-
cies was at one time so abundant about Vi
emma, that the philanthropic laurent tried
to persuade the poor people of the city to be-
come lizard eaters.
According to Marco Polo, the hunters Of
Carazan sold the serpents they killed to the
people Of Cathay for high prices, serpent
meat being regarded as most delicate food.
There is hardly any tribe of snakes that is
not food for some particular tribe Of men.
The inhabitants Of King Georges Sound re-
verse Mrs. Glasses maxim-they cook their
snakes before catching them, by setting fire
10 the grass and then leisurely following in
the track of the flames and picking up the
broiled reptiles from the ashes. The adder
is savory meat TO the Sardinians and many
of the French provincials.
The ancients had great faith in the virtue
Of frogs flesh as a medicine. Pliny says
that frogs boiled in vinegar will cure tooth
ache. Dioscosides recommended them TO
be cooked in salt and oil as an antidote to
snake bites; another ancient doctor cured a
fstula by giving mis- patient frogs heart a
every morning as pill. II seems altogeth
association Of Frenchmen with frogs. The
French are moderate frog-eaters as COM
pared with the Belgians, the Italians or the
Germans. French epicures eat the hind
quarters only, serving them with wine or
white sauce the Germans leave only the
skin Md intestines. A hundred years ago,
a shrewd native Of Auvergne made for
tune by forming a preserve frog pond from
81 al l. -.
posed 60 have subsequently emigrated TO
Am erica and settled upon Boston common.
DIR. Livingston mentions favorably a mon
stroIs African frog, measuring half n foot
in length and four or five inches in breadth,
called the matlametlo. After a thunder
shower the pools are alive with matlamet-
loes; the natives, not unnaturally, believe
that they are born of the thunder-cloud,
and descend with the rain. During the dry
seasons the matlametlo makes his home un.
der ground.
OF all the edible reptiles the turtle is the
most universally popular. They form a
large item in the traffic with the Bahamas,
Jamaica, the Antilles, and the Alligator Is
lands are also favorite resorts for them.
Their habits and the mode Of capturing
them are familiar TO all. Turtle eggs figure
Nlhpnk bht GANblNH VI DdEdNdh. hAt
also held in high favor in Siam. One vari-
ETY. OF river turtle is reserved for the royal
service. Soldiers watch the rivers at night,
and when the turtles come out catch them
and brand them with the royal mark, and
then turn them loose. The eggs are sent to
the kings palace. The turtles Of the ANA
zon grow 10 immense size. They constitute
principal article of food in parts of Brazil.
"a 81 he hos sf5
carral or turtle pond, which is stocked for
the winter, when the waters Of the river are
low. An immense number of turtle eggs
are ANNUALLY destroyed for the manufac-
ture Of oil. The green turtle, of course,
stands first with epicures; next to him comes
the hawk-bill or intoxicated turtle, which
supplies the world with tortoise shell then
the logger-head; then the trunk turtle. The
soft shell turtle, found in our Southern wa
tiers, is also working himself into a reputa-
tiOn