Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-11-04
People Eat Dogs, Rats,
SnaiLs, Lizards, Mud and
Many Other Odd Things

than does mutton. Muskrats are
commonly sold during the winter
months in our eastern cities, notab-
ly in Philadelphia and baltimore,
where heaps of the unattractive,
bloody, skinned carcasses are often
seen on the street stands, selling
usually for twenty or twenty five
cents each. They are sometimes
called marsh rabbits" by the vend-
| erS.
In africa and some parts of Asia
| elephant flesh is eaten, principally
the foot, the trunk, and some OF the
internal organs. The hippopotamus
also satisfies the meat-craving of
some of the African savages.
The Oriental edible bird-nests,
which are looked upon as a great
delicacy by the Chinese and Japa-
of swallow which makes it's home in
the limestone caverns along tbs
coast of Borneo. The ma
terial of which the nests ara built
is undoubtedly of seaweed origin.
They are pale yellow, translucent and
SunfloWer seeds are eaten raw or
Slightly roasted by the Russians as
we in America eat peanuts and the
exprest oil from these seeds is used
as a table oil also by that people.
The "ripened" eggs of the Chi
nese. which are prepared by burying
them in the earth until they have
undergone decomposition to a mark
ed degree, are also dietary curiosi-
ties.
In Mexico the eggs of certain
species of flies are used in making
a food paste which is considered a
great delicacy. Some of the African
native tribes are known to eat cater
pillars, but whether they prefer the
smooth ones or those which are fuz-
zy is not stated.
In the East Indies "kava" is the
name of beverage which is made
from the root of a species of pep
per. In preparing this delectable
concoction the women chew the fresh
root and spit the Juice into large
vessel, where it is allowed to stand
for a time to undergo fermentation,
which is said to give it potency. In
the Marquesas, where the foregoing
erafdm ta is fakS The is ssg the
which in most countries where it
grows is eaten freshly cooked, and
place it in pits in the ground. These
pits are then tightly covered for
some time and the food is not con-
sidered of value until it has under
gone decomposition to an extent that
makes it very objectionable to the
uninitiated. These same natives who
eat it would, however, probably balk
at eating some of the varieties of
cheese which are highly esteemed
by us.
1t is in Central and South America
that snakes and lizards find a place
on the regular menu. The snakes
that are eaten are the larges ones
of the anaconda species. The larger
sized lizards, too, are selected for
eating, and it is said that after
catching them the tendons of the
hind toes are pulled out with uliers
and then used as cords to tie the
animals feet together to render them
,, helpless and enable them to be easily
carried.
In Liberia curious food called
"dumboy" is made from cassava by
pounding the root in heavy wooden
| mortars with long handled pestles
until tough, doughty mass is pro-
duced, which gives out loud crack
ing sound when the pestIe is with
drawn from the mortar that can be
heard for long distances through the
forest. This paste is eaten only
when freshly prepared, as it is be-
lieved ITO be dangerous to eat it If
1T stands for more than a few min
utes after the correct consistency is
attained. The sticky mass must be
rolled into boluses and swallowed
whole. To chew it is to run the
risk Of having the jaws tightly lock-
ed together. What is left over from
meal ID dried and becomes so hard
that it is often broken into frag-
ments and used for shotgun ammunt-
tiDn by the natives. These same peo-
pie drink the juice which can be