THE BULLFROG: GASTRONOMIC QUALITIES 161 



among till-in and, having secured her victim by the hiud legs, severed him in twain with a sharp 

 knife; the legs minus skin still struggled and were placed on a dish, aiid the head with the lore 

 legs affixed retained life and motion and performed such motions that the operation became painful 

 to look at. These legs were afterwards cooked at the restaurateur's, being served up fried in bread- 

 crumbs, as larks are in England; and most excellent eating they were, tasting more like the 

 delicate flesh of the rabbit than anything else I can think of. 



" I afterwards tried a dish of the common English frog, but his flesh is not so white nor so 

 tender as that of his French brother. 



" Should any person wish to have a dish of real French frogs, he can buy them at Fortnum 

 and Mason's for half-a- guinea, a tin-easeful. They are beautifully preserved and are ready for 

 cooking. I have eaten them at the house of a lady who kindly invited me to luncheon when she 

 tried the experiment. . . . 



"The edible frog (rana esculenta) is brought from the country, in quantities of from thirty to 

 forty thousand at a time, to Vienna, and sold to great dealers who have conservatories for them. 

 These conservatories are large holes, four or five feet deep, dug in the ground, the mouth covered 

 with a board, and in severe weather with straw. In these conservatories, even during a hard 

 frost, the frogs never become quite torpid; they get together in heaps one upon another, 

 instinctively, and thereby prevent the evaporation of their humidity, for no water is ever put to 

 them." 1 



The custom of eating Frogs was introduced into the United States from Europe, and has 

 spread from the cities on the east coast to those in the interior and on the west coast. On account 

 of the limited supply which is sent to market, frog meat has hitherto been considered an article of 

 luxury, rather than one of general consumption. In restaurants and hotels it is seldom found on 

 the regular bill of fare, but in those of the better class, in the large cities at least, it is not 

 wanting on the order-list. 



The supply of Frogs for the New York market, according to the statement of Mr. E. G. Black- 

 ford, is obtained principally from Canada, Northern New York, and the vicinity of Philadelphia. 

 The season lasts from May to November. The hiud legs, or "hind quarters" as they are termed, 

 arc the only portions usually eaten, there being but an insignificant amount of flesh on other parts 

 of the animal. Mr. Blackford states that he is accustomed to sell about 12,000 pounds of frog 

 meat annually, and it is probable that the consumption of New York City is not less than 60,000 

 pounds. The average retail price is thirty cents per pound. 



At Boston "Frogs are sold generally by the dozen, and bring from twenty to fifty cents, 

 according to quality. As the demand increases the business will furnish quite a source of rural 

 income. . . . The subject of canning Frogs is being talked of, and efforts are being made 

 to discover a good process for this purpose." 2 



The following paragraph from an American newspaper of recent date contains some informa- 

 tion regarding the extent of the business in Minnesota: "A new industry lias recently sprung up 

 in parts of Minnesota, that has already arrived at the dignity of statistics. Frog culture is the 

 new thing ; it is a simple matter, consisting chiefly in the protection of eggs and tadpoles from 

 birds and other enemies, by means of wire screens. The product, thus far reported, amounts to 

 3,000 dozen of frogs' legs, of which about two-thirds have been shipped to Saint Louis, 'flu- 

 average quotation of prices is twenty cents per dozen." 



Frogs are quoted regularly as appearing in the San Francisco market. Mr. Paul Pieombo, 



'BuCKLAND, FRANCIS T. : Curiosities of Natural History, 1840, pp. 38-40. 

 * Boston Commercial Bullutiii. 

 11 F 



