212 UTILITARIAN ZOOLOGY 



consider its flesh a first-rate dainty, superior even to beef, which 

 is the greatest compliment they can pay to any food. According 

 to Bennett, the blacks near the Wollondilly and Yas rivers in 

 New South Wales have a different taste, and are very partial 

 to Ornithorhynchus." The Pouched Mammals (Marsupialid) of 

 Australia have naturally been largely eaten by the natives, and 

 the Kangaroo, at any rate, is decidedly palatable. Semon says 

 of it, in the work just quoted: "The muscular tail of the 

 kangaroo furnishes a delicious soup, and its flesh is not to be 

 despised ". 



Hoofed Mammals (Ungulatd), especially Ruminants, are more 

 important than any others as a source of food, and this is the 

 primary reason why they have been so largely domesticated. 

 Elephants (Proboscided) have been in times past of great im- 

 portance to the African larder. Sir Samuel Baker remarks (in 

 Wild Beasts and their Ways): "There is no animal that is 

 more persistently pursued than the elephant, as it affords food in 

 wholesale supply to the Africans, who consume its flesh, while 

 the hide is valuable for shields; the fat when boiled is highly 

 esteemed by the natives, and the ivory is of extreme value. 

 No portion of the animal is wasted in Africa, although in Ceylon 

 the elephant is considered worthless, and is allowed to rot 

 uselessly upon the ground where it fell to die." Of Gnawing- 

 Mammals \Rodentid), Hares and Rabbits have always been most 

 esteemed, while Insect-eating Mammals (Insectivord) are of no 

 particular importance, though gipsies appear to relish the Hedge- 

 hog (Erinaceus\ The related Bats (Chiropterd) are not in much 

 favour, but Fruit-bats (Pteropus) are eaten by the Malays. 



Flesh-eating Mammals (Carnivord) inhabiting the land are 

 less useful as a source of food than most other Mammals, though 

 the omnivorous Bears, and to some extent Dogs, must be ex- 

 cepted. It would appear, in some cases at least, to be a 

 matter of prejudice. Wallace found Jaguar steaks good eating, 

 and this suggested to him the following remarks: " It appears 

 evident to me that the common idea of the food of an animal 

 determining the quality of its meat is quite erroneous. Domestic 

 poultry and pigs are the most unclean animals in their food, yet 

 their flesh is highly esteemed, while field-rats and squirrels, 

 which eat only vegetable food, are in general disrepute." There 

 can be no doubt that the Cat is good eating, and, under numerous 



