The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-29
FROGS AID THEIR USES.
THE LEADING CHARACTERISTIC OF
ALL SPECIES IS VORAcTTY.


the Hind Quarters for Food-How Frogs
Are Caught.
Almost every one is familiar with the APP
pearance of the frog, Us the frog family is dis
tributed over every part OF the globe. In
America there are about dozen varieties but
only two of these are used for food. The frog
lives i'll water the greater part OF the time
but il is often found on the land long dis
lance from any water. The noise or croak-
ing that they make, usually heard Mt night
is well known, and has often proved of great
annoyance to persons of delicate nerves, keep
ing them awake for hours, and frequently
preventing sleep at all The bull frog, whose
noise resembles in diminutivc degree the
believing of a bull, i probably the greatest
annoyance, and obtained its name from the
peculiar cry it makes. They are very tena-
cious of life, even as much so Us the cat.
which is said To- have nine lives; they may be
MANNED and manglcd until life IS supposed 10
be extinct, and yet survive the wounds. In
deed, frogs are frequently found minus leg
or arm, swimming about well as when
their forms were perfect. They will even
show signs of life after their eutrsiilS and
heads have been removed, and advantage has
been taken'of this fact by scientific men for
the purpose of experiment, and To- illustrate
many important phenomena.
The characteristic of all species of the frog
is voracity; they cat flies, insects worms and
even smaller frogs; but, singular 10 relate,
they do not touch these unless they are alive
and in motion Prof. Doremus used to re
late an anecdote about some frogs he was
keeping in box for experimental purposes,
which shows their voracious propensities
There were about n dozen of the frogs and
among the number We're two unusually large
ones. lie had kept them for several weeks
but the attendants had neglected TO feed them
for a number of days, and upon going to the
box he was astoniShed to find only one frog
left, which was dead and greatly swollen
Upon closer inspection he found that the two
large frogs had eaten all the smaller ones,
and when they could obtain no more food the
larger of these two had swallowed the
smaller, but had died III the effort
OF the dozen or more varieties common to
this country and Europe, only two or three
are considered as edible and used rs food by
man. The celebrated edible frog, or green
frog, of Europe, which the naturulists call
rama csculenta, is the greatest fayorite and
the most sought after in the European coun-
tries. In the United States the species called
bull frogs, or shad-frogs are about the only
kinds that are used for culinary purposes.
The European edible frog is of a bright green
color above, with black spots, three yellow
stripes along the back, and of n Scilowish
color underneath. Our bull frog is familiar
to almost everybody, and somewhat reSem-
bles the common European frog
As a general rule the hind quarters of the
frog are eaten, but i'll Germany every part
with tho exception of the intestincs and skin,
is made use of as food. Many persons will
not eat frogs, believing that they are uncleau
yet they have no hesitGtion in partaking of
crabs or lobsters that feed upon the refuse
animal matter which they find in the water.
The flesh of the frog is very white and ten
der, nutritious and delicately favored, and
when nicely cooked, Is one of the most dainty
dishes that the gustatory sense of an cpicure
could desire, SURPRISING in delicacy any Of
fish, flesh or fowl They are cooked in vari-
Gus ways, in all of which their extreme deli
cacy is apparent. They can he made into a
broth, fried, stewed or fricaSccd, as the eater
may desire, but most people who eat them
prefer to have them fried. The manner in
which they are fried in the prominent restau-
rants is very simple The legs, after being well
skinned, are parboiled for about five minutes
in slightly sailed water: they are then plunged
into cold water for n few moments, and are
taken out to drain, after which they are
placed i'll hot pan and fried in the usual
way. The broth can be made in the same way
as chicken or beef broth.
In many of the large European cities it is
4 common thing to see the woman tishmongcr
with n barrel or tub on each side of her. one
containing live frogs and the other To hold
the portions that are unfit TO be eaten. When
n purchaser buys the frogs, the fiShmonger
plunges her hand in the barrel holding the
frogs pulls out a frog by its hind legs, places
it on the edge of the other barrel and with
n dextcrous stroke of the knife sewers the
hind legs from the rest of the body, which
falls into the barrel. The legs are then
ell.
cooking. The operation is repeated until the
order is filed.
The season for frogs extends from March
until November They are in the best condition
for table use in the fall, just before going
into winter quarters, although more are
eaten in the spring and carly part of tho
summer, because they can be caught much
easier at this season of the year. They are
caught in various ways, by means of nets,
hooks and the like, and sometimes by beating
them with long poles they sit on the banks
of the streams and ponds. The extreme vo-
racity of the frog is easily taken advantage
of, as it will leap after and sieZe almost any
thing that floats on the waters near the banks
having the appearance of life and motion.
y hook and line, baited with an insect or
covered with piece of red flannel, serves as
a good temptcr to the frog, who will gener-
ally seize il without hesitation or difficulty
After being caught they are preserved i'll
large frog ponds, or 'froSgeTieS, rs they are
called, until they are required for the mar
ket. The proprietors of these "froSgeries'
send the frogs to market ut regular intervals,
and they are kept alive until the customers
purchase them. The principal places where
they are sold in quantities are the New York
ard Boston markets, where they can be OBJ
tanned from n number of fish dealers. The
prices range from fifty cents 10 50 per dozen,
according to the size, appearance and quality,
but when they reach the restaurants their
value becomes greater. depending upon the
purses and appetitcs Of the cus.omerS.-Cor.
Boston Budget.
Reporting Big Fire.
Mr. Dana of The New York sun, declares
that the most difficult subject for newspaper
,,,,.c,,-tor n krI,.lL. VIII i li.r