The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-06-26
LocusTs FOR BREAKFAST.
Prof Riley Introduces . Reporter to
Rare Dish, and He Likes 1t.

Prof. Riley Introduces Reporter to 9
Rare Dish. and He Likes It.
A gentleman who had an engagement,
with Prof Riley called at his house tai:
morning and found the entomologist
alone in his dining-room reading the
morning papers as he finished a late
breakfast.
''Come right in here" said the Pro
lessor. II want an unprejudiced opin-
ion about little matter" Then he
called to the servant: bring me some
hot ones"
The visitor. despite the fact that he
had breakfasted, was induced to seal
himself a: the table '.just for the exper.
iment." and was served with 3 spoonful
o. dark brown objects, like very small
fried oysters. He eyed them suspiciously
moment, having discovered beneath
the crust of bread crumbs a Illuminated
back. something like that of small
shrimp.
What do you call it?''
THE Cicada. They ought to have
been cooked"
"What! Bugs?"
"No. no! not bugs, only the cicada-
miscalled the fiftsen-year locust Don't
be afraid of them. They are only the
quintessence of vegetable juices, and
everything in nature feeds upon them
ravenously."
Thereupon the host took one of the
things, bit it in two, munched and
swallowed it with an appearance of rel
ish. The guest shut his eyes and at
tempted to bolt a whole cicada. The
object crushed in his mouth and proved
to be little else than delicate shell, but
its flavor was found to be far from dis.
agreeable.
'All the juices were absorbed in the
batter" said the Professor, explana-
torily.
Neither the entomoiogist nor his Wis
itor was able to liken the flavor to any
thing with which they were familiar,
but they agreed in the opinion that. vul-
gar prejudice once overcome, the cicada
would be estimated a rare tidbit
certainly, since it required seventeen
years to ripen-and that it might take
rank with frogs legs, birds nests, shad
roes and whitehall.
Il spent an hour last night" said
the host, gathering them. and they
were very beautiful when fresh. took
them just as the pupa began to break.
They were creamy white and plump,
and looked good enough to eat raw,
but l didn't venture. 1 think these
81, of
fried-stewed in milk. presume they
would be nearly as good as grasshop-
pers."
do You eat grasshoppers?'
Certainly. l once ate nothing else
for two days, and l found them deli
cious when properly cooked. This is
only an experiment, of course, but my
eating of grasshoppers had practical
object in view. The insects had eaten
nearly everything in large region of
country, and many families were on the
verge of starvation"
Having lighted cigar the entomolo-
gist described his experience in at
tempting to introduce a grasshopper
diet in the West. He cooked the in
sects in various ways and found them
always palatable and nutritious.
People invited to partake ALWAYS
evinced aversion at first, but. preiu-
dices having been overcome, the dish
became favorite with those who es-
sayed it.
both the odipoda migratoria." he
said, land the dcridiuns perigrinum
have been esteemed as food by some
nations in all past ages, as far back at
least as the Ninevan era. Indeed, some
tribes have been called Acridophivi,
from the almost exclusive preference
they give this diet. Washington Cor.
N. T. Sun.