﻿146 EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT 



they need no elaborate preparation or seasoning. They require no disguise, and herein 

 lies their value in exceptional emerg'encles ; for when people are driven to the point of 

 starvation by these ravenous pests, it follows that all other food is either very scarce or 

 unattainable. A broth, made by boiling the unfledged Calopteni for two hours in the 

 proper quantity of water, and seasoned with nothing in the world but pepper and salt, 

 is quite palatable, and can scarcely be distinguished from beef broth, though it has a 

 slight flavor peculiar to it and not easily described. The addition of a little butter im- 

 proves it, and the flavor can, of course, be modified with mint, sa^e and other spices, 

 ad libitum. Fried or roasted in nothing but their own oil, with the addition of a little 

 salt, and they are by no means unpleasant eating, and have quite a nutty flavor. In 

 fact, it is a flavor, like most peculiar and not unpleasant flavors, that one can soon learn 

 to get fond of. Prepared in this manner, ground and compressed, they would doubt- 

 less keep for a long time. Yet their consumption in large quantities in this form would 

 not, I think, prove as wholesome as when made into soup or broth ; for I found the 

 chitinous covering and the corneous parts — especially the spines on the tibiaj— dry and 

 chippy, and somewhat irritating to the throat. This objection would not apply, with 

 the same force, to the mature individuals, especially of larger species, where the heads, 

 legs and wings are carefully separated before cooking ; and, in fact, some of the mature 

 insects prepared in this way, then boiled and afterward stewed with a few vegetables, 

 and a little butter, pepper, salt and vinegar, made an excellent fricassee. 



Lest it be presumed that these opinions result from an unnatural palate, or from 

 mere individual taste, let me add that I took pains to get the opinions of many other 

 persons. Indeed, I shall not soon forget the expeilence of my first culinary effort in 

 this line — so fraught with fun and so forcibly illustrating the power of example in over- 

 coming prejudice. This attempt was made at an hotel. At first it was impossible to 

 get any assistance from the followers of the urs eoquinaria. They could not more flat- 

 ly have refused to touch, taste or handle, had it been a question of cooking vipers. 

 Nor love nor money could induce them to do either, and in this respect the folks of the 

 kitchen were all alike, without distinction of color. There was no other recourse than 

 to turn cook myself, and operations once commenced, the interest and aid of a brother 

 naturalist and two intelligent ladies were soon enlisted. It was most amusing to note 

 how, as the rather savory and pleasant odor went up from the cooking dishes, the ex- 

 pression of horror and disgust gradually vanished from the faces of the curious look- 

 ers-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 surprise and satis- 

 faction by the ladies and gentlemen interested, this same cook was actually induced to 

 try them and soon grew eloquent in their favor; how, finally, a prominent banker, as 

 also one of the editors of the town joined in the meal. The soup soon vanished and 

 banished silly prejudice; then cakes with batter enough to hold the locusts together 

 disappeared and were pronounced good ; then baked locusts with or without condi- 

 ments; and when the meal was completed with dessert of baked locusts and honey a 

 la John the Baptist, the opinion was unanimous that that distinguished prophet no 

 longer deserved our sympathy, and that he had not fared badly on his diet in the wild- 

 erness. Prof. H. H. Straight, at the time connected with the Warrensburg, (Mo.) Nor- 

 mal School, who made some experiments for me in this line, wrote : " We boiled them 

 rather slowly for three or four hours, seasoned the fluid with a little butter, salt and 

 pepper and it made an excellmt soup, actually ; would like to have it even in prosper- 

 ous times. Mrs. Johonnot, who is sick and Prof. Johonnot pronounced it excellent." 



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

 best known caterers of St. Louis. Master of the mysteries of the cuisine, he made a 



