The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1875-04-02
CUR1OsITIEs OF ANIMAL FooD.

CUR1OSITIES OF ANIMAL FOOD.
For several years past the fantastic
French have been ltlxurating on horse
flesh, and recently q wild Enghshman
gave grand dinner, at which choice cut
tngs from favorite horse were served
up as the leading delicacy of his table.
The horse was 18 years old, and had been
ridden on many splendid hunt but
those facts, of course, only tended to
enhance the luxury.
In certain parts of Africa, in Trinidad,
Ceylon, Borneo and South America,
boiled and roasted monkey is considered
dehcacy-the red spider, fox and howl
ing monkeys each possessing peculiar
favor. Indeed gorilla steak, to the
South African, is a morsel not to be ex-
celled but, as this custom is too nearly
allied to cannlballsm, Anglo-Saxon travel
ers have seldom been tempted to partici-
pate.
In the islands of Mauritius and NAL
abar, several varieties of the bat, some
of them with wings four feet in extent,
are eaten by the natives with avidity,
but the story that the Dutch, when in
possession of the former island, were
fond of the monkey, is said to be incor-
rect.
The Arabs do not object to the flesh of
dogs will not touch it and it is well
known that the polecat is eaten by the
aborigines of North America while the
opossum is appreciated even by the
better classes of the Southern States.
In Italy the fox is considered fit for the
table of Cardinal, and, while ravenous
Esquimaux dogs will not touch this
animal after killing, the Indians them
selves consider it excellent food The
natives of the Malay peninsula eat the
flesh of the tiger, which is thought to
inspire courage, and the Hottentots and
other African races are wont to feed upon
the lion while the American Indians
have no scruples In regard to the wolf,
the panther, the cougar, or the lynx
many varieties of people esteem the flesh
of the dog; the ancient Greeks and Ro-
mans thought it light and wholesome,
and the common people Of modern Rome
depend upon it to considerable extent
in China they are fattened for the table
In Zanzibar stew of puppies is a luxury
even with the King and in the Sand
wich Islands pet puppy is often placed
before q hungry guest, and roast dog is
common among the natives of Africa and
the Indians of North America
In Australia, where alone the kangaroo
is found, 1t is considered delicacy, and
its liver, when dried and then pounded,
Is used as substitute for bread, and il
Is a remarkable fact that the aborigines
of that country always eat their food
roasted, being without the utensils fol
heating water or cooking liquid food
These people also enjoys frogs, snakes
moths, and grubs, but abhor oysters.
Among the Esquimaux roasted mice
are considered delectable, while the wal
rus, the porpoise and the whale are
among the necessaries of life.
In some of the West India islands
and IN Brazil, fried rats are considered
superior to frogs, and among the Chi
nese rat soup Is only equaled by souL
of caterpillars boiled In thin gravy with
onions.
In various parts of South America the
ant-eater and armadillo, the latter roast
ed IN its shell, are constantly eaten, and
are said to resemble roast pig.
In Africa and India the flesh of the
elephant Is generally eaten, and the paws
considered an Apician luxury.
In Abyssinia the descendants of Ras
selas doat on a mppopotamus or rhi.
nOceros steak.
The nomad tribes of northern Asis
and the aborigines of America are
famous for their horse flesh feasts
horse-steaks have long been authorized
and publicly sold ii Copenhagen, and
one of the latest gastronomic innova-
tions IN France and Germany is the use
of horse flesh.
The Persians and Tartars hold the hesI
of the common and wild ass in high es
tee1n, and, wherever the camel and the
giraffe are found, they are frequently
eaten, the tongue OF the former and ths
marrow of the latter being considered
deIicacies.
The ornishologicaa tastes Of the human
raceare more approp1 yand generally
diffused than Is the case with the mann
mails and with the exception of a feu
such birds as the crow and the buzxard
both of which are sometimes eaten, al
the feaEhered tribes seem TO have been EN-
ployed as food, when necessity or luxury
has sdemanded their death. The only really
curious fact connected with bird food
is that which exists among the Chinese
where the nests Of q species of swallow
formed Of znslcilagi ginous substance, i
eonsidered d luxury, the constituent quaI
tiles of which have never been ascer
tanned by analysis.
But In regard to the reptile race, the
barbarOus epicuTes oE the world practices
sorna singular hahits. The tr11e lizard
tropical countries; Is but little inferior
to the common fowl IN favor !; the ALI
gator and crocodile Ia all the countries
where kfaey axs found, are considered 81
for food. and are said to resemble veal
both in appaaxance and taste; some d
the tribes Of Southern Guinea eat ths
boa constructor In Geyian the heah d
Else anaconda Ii esteefasd as food by ths
natives; and IL yaEialls parts ct Americ.
the rattlssnake ID pronounced capita
food wisz1e IN Exnzacey IS is well known
frogs ara deemed 5 luxury
What he's been eaid il1 regard to Dirll
ie0t1fke a arxilfcshIa to the fishes Of thG