53 



alike, without distinction of colour. There was no other resource than tn turn cook myself 

 and operalious once commenced, the interest and aid of a brother naturalist and two intelli- 

 gent ladies were soon enlisted. It was most amusing to note how, as the rather savoury 

 and pleasant odour went up from the cooking dishes, the expression of horror and disgust 

 gradually vanished from the faces of the curious lookers-on, and how, at last, the head 

 cook — a stout and jolly negress — took part in the operations ; how, when the different 

 dishes were neatly served upon the table and were freely partaken of with evident relish 

 and many expressions of sur[)rise and satisfaction by the ladies and gentlemen interested, 

 this same cook was actually induced to try them and soon grew eloquent in their favour ; 

 how, finally, a prominent banker, as also one of the editors of the town, joined in the 

 meal. The soup sooh vanished and banished silly prejudice ; then cakes with batter 

 enough to hold the locusts together disajipearod and were pronounced good ; then Vjaked 

 locusts with or without condiments ; and when the meal was completed with dessert of 

 baked locusts and honey a la John the Baptist, the opinion was unanimous that that dis- 

 tinguished prophet no longer deserved our sympathy, and that he had not faieil badly on 

 his diet in the wilderness. Prof. H. H. Straight, of the Warrensburg (Mo.) Normal 

 School, who made some experiments /or me in this line, wrote : ' VVe boiled them rather 

 slowl)' for three or four hours, sea^.in 'lie fluid with a little butter, salt and pejiper and 

 it made an excellent soup, aciualh ; wou like to have it even in prosperous times. Mrs. 

 Johonnot, who is sick, and Pro!. Johonn ^. pronounced it excellent.' 



" I sent a bushel of the scalded insects to Mr. Jno. Bonnet, one of the oldest and best 

 known caterers of vSt. Louis. Master of the mysteries of the cuisine, he made a soup 

 which was really delicious and was so proaounced by dozens of prominent St. Louisans 

 who tried it. Shaw, in his Travels in Barbar// (Oxford, England, 1738), in which two 

 pages are devoted to a description of the ravages of locusts, mentions that they are 

 sprinkled with salt and fried, when they taste like craw-fish ; and Mr. Bonnet declared 

 that this locust soup reminded him of nothing so much as crawfish bisque, which is so 

 highly esteemed by connoisseurs. He also declared that he would gladly have it on his 

 bill of fare every day if he could get the insects. His method of preparation was to boil 

 on a brisk fire, having previously seasoned them with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg, the 

 whole being occasionally stirred. When cooked they are pounded in a mortar with bread 

 fried brown, or a puree of rice. They are then replaced in the saucepan and thickened to 

 a broth by placing on a warm part of the stove, but not allowed to boil. For use, the 

 broth is passed through a strainer and a few croucons are added. I have had a small box 

 oi fried ones with me for the past two months, and they have been tasted by numerous 

 persons, including the members of the London Entomological Society and of the Societd 

 Entomohigique de France. Without exception they hav ^ been pronounced far better than 

 was expected, and those fried in their own oil with a Utile salt are yet good and fresh ; 

 others fried in butter liave become slightly rancid — a fault of the butter." 



Mr. Kiley concludes his interesting account by saying, " I can safely assert from my 

 own personal experience, that our Kocky Mountain locust is more palatable when cooketl 

 than many animals which we habitually use on our tables. I mention the sjiecies more 

 particularly, because the flavour will doubtless differ according to the species, or even 

 according to the nature of the vegetation the insects were nourished on. I have made 

 no chemical analysis o! this locu.st food, but that it is highly nourishing may be gath- 

 ered from the fact that all animals fed upon the insects thrive when they are abundant ; 

 and the further fact that our locust-eating Indians, and all other locust-eating people, 

 grow fat upon tl"m. 



" Locusts \ 'I hardly come into general use for food except where they are annually 

 abundant, and o western farmers who occasionally suffer from them will not easily bo 

 brought to a due preciation of them fot thi< purpose. Prejiuliced a'.'ain.^t them ; fight- 

 ing to overcome tl m, killing them in large quantities, until the stench from their decom- 

 posing bodies becomes at times most offensive — they liud lit tie that is attractive in the pests. 

 For these reasons, as long us other food is attainable, the locust will be iipt to be rejected 

 by most pei-sons. Yet the fact remains that they do ni.ike very good food. When freshly 

 caught in large quantities, the mangled mass presents a not very appetizing appear- 

 ance, and emits a strong, and not overjjK'a.sing odour ; but rinsed and scalded, they 

 turn a brownish red, look much more inviting, and give no disagreeable smell. 



