St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-07-11
IocusTs FOR BREAKFAST.
Prof. Riley Introduces Reporter co
Rare Dish, and He Likes It.


Prof. Riley introduces Reporter TO
Rare Dish, and He Likes 1t"
A gentleman who had an engagement
with Prof. Riley called at his house this
morning and found the entomologlst
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 unprecedented opln-
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 seat
himself az the table '.justfor the exper-
iment," and was served with spoonful
of dark brown objects, like very small
fried oysters. He eyed them susplclously
moment, having discovered beneath
the crust of bread crumbs 1amlnated
back, something like that OF small
shrimp.
what do you call it?"
"The Cicade They ought to have
been cooked"
"What! Bugs?'
40, no! not bugs, only the cicada-
miscalled the fifteen-year locust Don't
be afraid of them. They are only the
uuintessence 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 whole cicada. The
object crushed in his mouth and proved
to be little else than delicate she'll, but
it's flavor was found to be far from dis
agreeable.
can the Juices were absorbed in the
batter" said the Professor, eXplana-
torily.
Neither the entomo1ogist 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. yul
oar prejudice once overcome, the clcads
would be estimated rare tidbit-rare
certainly, since it required seventeen
wears to ripen--and that it might take
rank with frogs legs, birds nests, shat
roes and whitehall.
II spent an hour last night, salt
the host, gathering them. and the!
were very beautiful when fresh. | tool
them Just as the pupa began to break
They were creamy white and plump
and looked good enough to eat raw
but I didn't venture. l think ines
should have been stewed instead Q
fried-stewed in milk. [ presume the
would be nearly as good as grasshoE
pers." 49,,
"Do YOU eat grasshoppers?2
Certainly. l once ate nothing els
for two days, and found them del
cious when properly cooked. This
only an experiment, of course, but m
eating of grasshoppers had a practic;
object in view. The insects had cate
! nearly everything in large region
) country, and many fanilies were on I'll
verge of starvation"
, Having lighted cigar the entomol'
7 gist described his experience in
t tempting to introduce grasshopp'
f diet in the West. He cooked the il
r sects in various ways and found the
always palatable and nutritious
o People invited to partake alWa,
civilized aversion at first, but. pref
:, dices having been overcome, the di
? became a favorite with those who
sayed it :.
e Both the gdtpodo maigratoriG, ="
}, said, 'sand the Gcridiatq11 peT9gr17aat
: have been esteemed as food by SOL
L nations in all past ages, as far back
least as the Ninevan era. Indeed, sol
J. tribes have been called Acridophi
1T from the almost exclusive preferen
J. they give this diet. y Washington G
Re a. 7. San.
II