268 LEAVES FROM THE 



Besides these true turtles another marine genus exists, 

 differing remarkably from chelone ; this is the coriaceous 

 turtle, Sphargis, which has the body incased in a sort of 

 leathern armour, and has no nails on the paddles. This 

 form seems to represent the soft freshwater-tortoises in 

 some degree. 



The green turtle (Chelone mydas), now the cynosure 

 of every aldermanic eye, owes its English name to the 

 hue of the delicate fat which enriches the soup and 

 various savoury dishes that form a course of turtle. 

 Whether the Latin specific name was conferred on it by 

 the Knight of the Polar Star from any punning justiciary 

 allusion, does not seem to be certain. Notwithstanding 

 the French names with which it is now the fashion to 

 adorn every p)lcit, be it at City feast, great club dinner to 

 the lion of the day, or the more refined repast served in 

 the Apollo chamber of a modern Lucullus, England may 

 claim the honour of availing itself of the resources of its 

 West Indian possessions, and making 'turtle' famous. 

 The French were a long way behind. In ie Cuisinier 

 des Cuisiniers'^ there is not a single receipt for dressing 

 real turtle. 



What the ideas of a Frenchman on the subject of 

 Potage en Tortue were, may be gathered from the fol- 

 lowing : — 



Potage en Tortue. — Ce potage, qui est aujourd'hui tres a la 

 mode dans les grands maisons et chez les bons restaurateurs, 

 manque dans la plupart des traite's sur la cuisine. Beauvilliers, et 

 Viard dans le Cuisinier Royal, sont les seuls qui en exposent la 

 recette, mais avec des variantes. 



After this exordium, one is hardly pref)ared for the 

 receipts themselves. 



Matitres employees par Beauvilliers. — Mouton, epaule ou gigot, 

 ou parures de carres, deljris de poissons, en quantite' suffisante, 

 dans un marmite, blond de veau, bouquet de persil, aromates. 



* Paris, 1825. 



