HUMAN FOODS 21 



SO sleek and handsome as we think a fish ought to be. As a 

 rule we have a prejudice against eating sharks or skates, cusk 

 or sea-cats, sculpins and fishing-frogs, all of which, however, 

 are relished by less squeamish peoples. 



The sea-pike or sea-gar is eaten in most places, but shunned 

 in others because its bones are green and not white as fish 

 bones ought to be. In the West Indies there is a persistent 

 tale about a rat which was once seen to eat these green bones 

 and shortly after observed to die in agony. But in one village 

 in these islands you may hear this distressing tale about the 

 rat and in a neighboring community you may find this fish, 

 green bones and all, particularly esteemed. 



In the far north, especially in Greenland, the natives eat 

 the flesh of the great arctic shark which they catch through 

 holes in the ice near which it lurks in order to waylay the 

 seals as they come up to breathe. If eaten as the flesh of 

 other fish, and of other sharks, is eaten the arctic shark is 

 very poisonous, both to men and dogs, causing what is known 

 as shark intoxication. But after cooking in several changes 

 of water the flesh of this shark is quite as harmless as that of 

 any other fish. 



As a rule when we eat a fish we leave the head, along with 

 the back bone, for our friend the cat, the exceptions to this 

 rule being mostly of an involuntary nature. Of a large fish 

 we sometimes eat the tongue or cheeks, but our interest in 

 the front end of a fish never goes much further. In many 

 places, as in parts of the West Indies, the eyes are considered 

 the most delicious part and are always eaten first, as I have 

 often noticed; and in parts of northeastern Asia boiled salmon 

 eyes are a favorite dish, looking like large blueberries. Sheeps' 

 eyes are also very popular in Asia Minor. 



Our fish we always cook, but in many places fish are eaten 

 raw with or without a special kind of sauce. I have eaten 

 raw fish in Washington as well as in Japan, and it is aston- 

 ishing how good it is. But do not try to eat raw fish unless 

 you know what kinds are safe to eat, for in some are found 



