XXVI. DAINTIES OF ANIMAL DIET 



THE well-informed persons who wrote to the papers on 

 the nature and uses of the persimmon, after the Prince 

 of Wales's horse of that name won the Derby, omitted 

 to notice that the fruit is in immense request as one of 

 the dainties of animal diet. { Brer Rabbit ' achieved 

 not the least notable of his diplomatic triumphs by 

 inducing the other animals to get him persimmons 

 when they wanted them themselves ; and in fact there 

 is no other fruit, except perhaps the water-melon, which 

 is in more general request both among birds and 

 beasts. 



The taste for dainties among animals takes rather 

 unexpected forms. Many flesh-eating creatures, for 

 example, select as delicacies some form of fruit, and 

 take considerable trouble to gratify what is a taste for 

 luxury rather than a necessity of diet. The Syrian 

 foxes, ' the little foxes which spoil the grapes,' are not 

 the only creatures of their tribe which go for food to 

 the vineyards. Jackals do the same, and eat the fruit 



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