18 EDIBLE BRITISH MOLLUSKS. 



the escargots brought to the Marche de la Bourse, at 

 Nantes, on Sundays and fete days, amounted in number 

 to 996,000, producing the sum of 2490 francs.* 



We read that formerly, in Paris, snails were only to 

 be found in the herbalists' shops and at the chemists' ; 

 but now there is a special place for them in the fish 

 market, by the side of the crayfish and other freshwater 

 fishes ; and in nearly all the restaurants you may see 

 dishes of Helix pomatia displayed in the windows. They 

 are ready cooked, and only require warming for a few 

 minutes on the gridiron. It is from Troyes, at the 

 price of five francs the hundred, that the apple or vine 

 snail is sent to Paris, boiled in their shells, and seasoned 

 with fresh butter mixed with parsley. When you wish 

 to partake of them, you place them before the fire till 

 the butter melts, and then they are fit to eat. I pur- 

 chased some, and succeeded in eating two, but with 

 difficulty, as the way they were dressed did not disguise 

 the slimy, soapy taste, and the want of salt, pepper, 

 etc., made them most unpalatable. I felt that I could 

 sympathize with Dr. Black and Dr. Hutton, who also 

 endeavoured to eat a dish of stewed snails; but, after 

 vainly attempting to swallow in very small quantities 

 the mess which each internally loathed, " Dr. Black at 

 length ' showed the white feather,' but in a very delicate 

 manner, as if to sound the opinion of his messmate. 

 1 Doctor,' he said, in his precise and quiet manner, 

 ' Doctor, do you not think that the}^ taste a little — a 

 very little — green V ' Green ! green, indeed ! Take 

 them awa' ! take them awa' !" vociferated Dr. Hutton, 



* ' Catalogue des Radiaires, des Annelides, des Cirrhipedes, et des 

 Mollusques marins, terrestres et fluviatiles, recueillis dans le departe- 

 meiit de la Loire-Inferieure,' par Frederic Cailliaud, de Nantes, p. 222. 



