Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1899-04-24
NATURES DAINTIEs.
CURIOUS ARTICLES OF FOOD THAT
 ARE BUT LITTLE KNOWN.

Lion Flesh Said to Be Good Eating.
 It was Punch who pathetically com. plained of the monotony or eternal beef and mutton, and prayed for the invention of a new meat. Indeed, the English bill of fare Is an exceedingly limited one, and many besides Punch have sometimes wished that new meat could be invented. But we do not take advantage of all the dainttes which nature offers; it is not necessary to invent a new meat but simply to acquire courage to taste and cat hith- erto uneaten animals, birds and rep tiles.
 The COW, sheep, pig, various fowls, game and fish furnish all tue items of the various bills of fare; indeed the food of the vast majority of the people simply consists of beef and mutton, with occasional changes to pork and fish. There are however, many other animals which, prejudice apart, would furnish just as nourishing ard tasty and more novel food. Horse flesh is regarded with popular horror, but the dislike is one simply founded on preju- dice. No doubt the flesh of old, worn out nags is neither very paIatable or uOQIlSHIl2. put q uOISG Nil(u HUH it's birth is intended for food, and fed and cared for like an OK, supplies ex- ceIlent meat It is much finer in flavor than beef or mutton, and much more expensive. In Paris the restaurants include horse beef in their daily menus. In England it is sometimes served at great feasts as a novelty, and 10 shillings q pound is the usual price paid for it. Similarly, donkey flesh is very good eating, provided 1t is young 4 donkey more than eight months old is not edible. In taste it is said to much resemble q turkey though very much finer in flavor. Two shillings a pound is the price for don key meat but a big demand would of course reduce this to q reasonable fig ure; the same remark applies to horse flesh. Tn Arabia the horse $ eaten and considered great delieaey.
 Custom and prejudice alone prevent many really tasty and common ani- mals being used for food. or all ami mals the pig, with its filthy, groyeling habits and food. seems the most un- likely to be appreciated by human be- ings. Yet the pig, whose pane is synonym for all that is low anG bestial. is eaten without repugnance-nay. with relish Charles Lamb wrote q prose epic in praise of roass pork. \ dainty lady =WillZeat and enjey roast pork, but she would scream pI.d shud- der at the very idea of eating roast rat. Yet the rat is a vegetarian, and most eleanly in it's habits while na- body can claim that for the ldg Rat pie is great deIeacy and was a dish of which the Key. c. Wood. the celebrated naturalist was ex- tremely fond.
 During the siege of ParIs. in 1871, the starving inhabitants ate up all the animals in the zoo Elephant and lion steaks and the flesh of otEer wild animals were eaten. and, though 1t was case of Hobson's chOice-that or none at all-the Parisians found that they were very palatable Even now the gourmets of Paris delight in the flesh of camels, lions and ele- plants Camel's flesh is brought from Algeria, and is said to be remarkably like beef. It is as tender as veal. and the Arabs regard it as very nutr- tious. The hump of q camel is the tit bit of the beast, and when plump and fat is a dainty indeed
 In the South of France snakes are sold, ready for cooking. under the name of hedge eels Frank Auckland, the famous naturalist, stated that he once made hearty meal off q boa con strictor, it's flesh being exec edingly white and firm, and not unlike veal in taste. Fried or steWed rat1lesnake is very like eel, which people eat with out a qualm of stomach or conscience.
 Lion flesh is said to be very good eating, but tiger is tough and sinewy. Nevertheless. the latter is eaten in In- dia, as there is q superstition that it imparts strength and cunning to the eater. Bears flesh is a great favorite in Germany, and smoked tongues and hams are considered great delicacies. On account of the rarity of bruin they are expensive. Sausage-so dear to the Teutonic heart-and stomach-is also made with bear liver; 25 pounds of sausage can be made from q single liver.
 There appears to be considerable diversity of opinion as to the merits of elephants flesh. Tn India and Africa it is a favorite dish with th4 natives. but a European who has travelled much in Africa says: T nave tasted elephant over and oyer again. It is more like soft leather and glue than anything else I can compare it to-" Another traveller, however, declares that he cannot imagine how m animal so coarse and heavy can produce such delicate and tender flesh. All authori. ties, however, agree in commenting elephants foot Even the traveller quoted above, who compared ele- plants flesh to leather and glue. ad mits that baked elephants foot is a dish fit for a king. When an elephant is shot in Africa the flesh is cut into strips and dried; it is then called "bil- tong. The elephants foot is cut off