140 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



men eat the flesh of the wild dingo-dog, and, when 

 pressed by hunger, they will partake of such 

 unappetising items as the larvse of white-ants, 

 lizards, and even snakes. The common phalanger, 

 or opossum, as it is frequently called, also proves 

 an acceptable dish, and in New South Wales the 

 wombat is considered to be quite a tasty morsel. 



The flamingo was greatly appreciated by the 

 Romans, who regarded the tongue of the bird as a 

 special dainty ; and we are told that the tongue 

 of the sea-lion is considered by some sailors to be 

 preferable to that of an ox. The peacock was 

 frequently served at banquets in the days of our 

 ancestors, the skin of the bird, with the feathers 

 attached, being carefully removed before the 

 flesh was roasted, only to be replaced, however, 

 when that process was completed, and, finally, to 

 give an artistic finish to the dish, the tuft of feathers 

 upon the head was then gilded. 



Dried flesh of various kinds forms a food which is 

 invaluable to travellers and explorers ; that known 

 as biltonge being greatly favoured by hunters in 

 South Africa, while in colder regions it is superseded 

 by pemmican, which is prepared by pounding up 

 the dried flesh of different animals and soaking it 

 in fat. The latter is stated to have quite an agree- 

 able flavour, and to contain four times as much 

 nourishment as that found in an equal quantity 

 of ordinary meat. 



Turtle soup is familiar to all of us (if only by 

 name) on account of its associations with the 

 famous GuUdhaU banquets in the City of London, 



