THE EDIBLE FROG. 107 



gastronomic idea not much in favour with. 

 Englishmen. To cook and eat frogs was long 

 since regarded on this side the Channel as the 

 privilege only of Frenchmen. Recently we have 

 been relaxing in our prejudices, and both 

 Frenchmen and frogs, seen through a less dis- 

 torting medium, are being better understood and 

 appreciated. " Fricassee de grenouilles," which 

 we should call "preserved frogsMegs," are 

 regularly sold at some of the West-end provision 

 warehouses, packed in air-tight canisters, in the 

 same manner as many other mysterious modern 

 comestibles. It is three or four years since we 

 learnt that " French frogs " had introduced 

 themselves into British commerce, and we re- 

 solved upon testing their edible qualities. One 

 of the canisters referred to was purchased, and 

 by dint of labour opened, and what seemed 

 to be little strips of boiled chicken floated in 

 thin melted butter. We looked at them, and 

 paused smelt of them and paused again; at 

 length, with marvellous courage as we thought, 

 tasted them. At first there seemed some little 

 irresolution on the part of the internal genii, 

 whether they ought not to rebel against the 

 admission of the intruder. But, as the taste 

 was in their favour, down went the frogs. After 

 all, the flavour was very agreeable, if one could 



