HOW TO CRIMP A FISH. 315 



being landed, he ought to be killed by a stunning blow 

 on the head, in which case the muscular tissue will 

 become rigid and firm, from the violent shock to the 

 nervous system, in place of being soft and flaccid, as it 

 will always be when suffered to die a lingering death 

 from strangulation. And the muscles will retain per- 

 manently this rigid state if not too much handled 

 afterwards. 



The next preliminary process at the river-side, is to 

 crimp him. This is done directly after he is deprived of 

 sensation by the blow on the head, by cutting the fish 

 transversely across from back to belly, making the in- 

 cisions at intervals of three inches or so, and deep enough 

 to penetrate to the backbone and completely divide the 

 muscles. As soon as this operation is completed, the 

 fish ought to be laid for about ten minutes beneath a 

 spout of cold spring water to stiffen ; then be covered 

 over with cool fresh grass or ferns, in a cool shady place, 

 till required for the table. Such a process materially 

 contributes to give the flesh that peculiar firmness and 

 crispness so characteristic of a first-rate fish, and a pro- 

 perty so highly prized by the epicure. 



On handing him over to the cook, that functionary 

 must cut open the belly and eviscerate him, wiping him 

 clean with a dry cloth, but on no account using water 

 at this stage of the proceedings, as after the vital in- 

 fluence has entirely fled, the water would dissolve a 

 portion of the albuminous curd, which exists between 

 the flakes of flesh, and which somewhat resembles in 

 properties the white of eggs. It is the abundance and 



